Will of the Dragon
by emmajayem
Summary: The dragon war is over, and Berk is slowly being rebuilt. But as Chief Hiccup and his friends soon discover, they aren't the only one's Drago has hurt. Young Naruto Uzumaki bears the scars left by the madman, and it's up to the villagers of Berk to save him. But when a new threat arises from afar, will Naruto become the savior for the island he now calls home?
1. Chapter 1: The Child

_Disclaimer: All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Viz Media, Cressida Cowel, and DreamWorks Animation; cover art belongs to Cheif117John on deviantArt_

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><p><strong><strong>AN: A story that popped into my head after seeing How to Train Your Dragon 2. Feel free to leave comments and constructive criticism. No flames please. Enjoy! ****

****P.S. I would recommend seeing the movie before reading this story. ;)****

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><p>Three long days had passed since the dragon war. Three days of toil and grief for the vikings of Berk. They had lost their beloved chief, Stoick the Vast and their home had been torn apart by the madman, Drago Bludvist. But they were a hearty and stubborn people. Every man, woman, and child contributed to the rebuilding of the tribe. The new chief, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, worked the hardest of all, comforting, advising, and directing his people. The young man still felt the heavy weight of his father's tragic death, a weight that would remain for many years to come. But the former chief's last lesson kept him going.<p>

"Protect your own," the young man murmured as he stood alongside his best friend, surveying the restoration work around them. He was tall and slender, with forest green eyes and a handsome, scholarly face, marked only by an unusual scar on the right side of his chin. He was clad in dark leather armor, emblazoned with a red dragon head on the right shoulder.

"Don't worry, Dad. Toothless and I will take care of them for you." Hiccup glanced at the sleek black dragon beneath him. "All of them. Isn't that right, bud?" Toothless, the Night Fury blinked luminescent harlequin eyes and gave his rider a gummy, draconian smile before taking off into the sky. The two of them soared over the ice-covered island, Toothless' artificial tail flapping in the wind as they manoeuvred. Vikings called their greetings from below as they watched their young chieftain taking care of his duties.

"Hiccup!" A feminine call resounded as another dragon flew up beside them. A blond-haired young woman rode atop the mottled yellow and blue Deadly Nadder. She smiled at Hiccup. "How's the work coming along?" The man shrugged his slim shoulders.

"Well, it's coming, Astrid. Slowly but surely. Have you seen Snotlout and the others?"

"They're helping heft the new roof for the meeting hall."

"Is Eret with them?"

"No, last I saw, he was with Gobber and your mother tending the wounded dragons over at the stables."

"Good. Can you go get 'Lout, 'Legs, Ruff, and Tuff for me? I'll be with Eret, there are a few things I want to ask him." The beautiful viking maiden nodded and flew off. Hiccup sighed tiredly, and ran a hand through his messy, chocolate-brown hair.

"On to the next job...ready bud?" Leaning to the side, the dragon and his rider wound around to the other side of the island, swerving through the entrance of the dragon stables.

A woman looked up from her work as they arrived, wiping off her slender hands and walking towards them with an elegant yet powerful stride. She smoothed back a piece of auburn hair from in front of her celery colored eyes and smiled up at the young dragon trainer.

"Ah, Hiccup! How have the winds been for you, my son?" Hiccup gave a small grin at the special greeting they had shared ever since flying together for the first time at the Dragon Sanctuary.

"Strong as ever, Mom. Those who have been riding them are pretty tired, though." Hiccup's mother, Valka, chuckled and beckoned to her son.

"Come, I just finished drawing up the plans for our new forge. They just need your approval and then I'll send them off the building crew." The young viking nodded and began shuffling through the sheets of parchment.

"Actually, Mom, I was wondering if Eret was around. I need to ask him something." Valka tilted her head in curiosity.

"Oh? And what might that something be, son?"

"I need to ask Eret a few questions about Drago…" His mother's expression turned serious.

"What's worrying you, Hiccup? I may not have been around all these years, but I definitely recognize that tone of voice. It's the same one Stoick used whenever he was brooding over the village's problems."

"I was wondering...what if Drago had other bases besides the main fortress we destroyed?"

"Are you thinking some of his men may still be out there?"

"No, I'm pretty sure they all fled when we defeated Bludvist, though it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm more worried about those traps of his…there may still be a few scattered around that have yet to be destroyed. Also...do you remember how, at times, Toothless was able to block out the alpha Bewilderbeast's call?"

"Aye."

"Well, if Tooth was able to, why not other strong dragons? If Drago came across dragons he couldn't control, he would have only two options. One, remove the problem, meaning kill the dragon. Or two…" Valka's eyes widened in realization

"Keep the dragon captive until it submits…" she whispered in horror.

"Exactly, which is why I need to ask Eret if Drago had any kind of hideout other than his main base."

"That's a good idea, Hiccup. He and Gobber went to check the dragon's food stocks. When Eret gets back we'll tell him."

"Tell me what?" Eret questioned as he strode up beside them, the village's blacksmith in tow.

"Aye, what's got you so worked up, laddie? I only e'er saw such a look on your Dad's face when 'e was thinkin' too hard."

"Ha ha ha, very funny." Hiccup retorted sarcastically at the slight jibe. "Eret, I need to you tell me whether or not Drago had more than one location where he was gathering dragons." The former dragon trapper scratched at his stubbled chin in thought.

"Hmmm. I recall it being mentioned that he had a few of the more stubborn ones tucked away somewhere secret. Don't remember where though. But now that I think about it, there was something odd I once heard him mumbling about."

"What was tha', ole lad?"

"It was along the lines of: 'blasted beast won't break, got to break that rider first.' He had an odd look on his face at the time, too. Almost as though he was worried."

"Could he have been talking about Hiccup or myself?"

"Afraid not, Valka. This was at least a year before he knew anything about Hiccup, and he was definitely grumbling about a dragon already in his possession."

"But that means…"

"Aye, Drago must've encountered someone else like yourselves. And if he had the dragon…"

"He probably had the rider…" Hiccup closed his eyes as he spoke, dread clenching in the pit of his stomach.

"It's been a full three days since the battle, but it may have been even longer since Drago had been to that hideout. There's no guarantee that we'll find anything, but it's worth a look."

"Hiccup, don' ya think it's a bit early in your chiefin' to go off wanderin' some more?"

"I already thought of that, Gobber. Astrid is gathering the other dragon trainers even as we speak. I plan on sending them out in groups to fly around our part of the Archipelago and see if they spot anything unusual." The four of them waited for a short while longer, before Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut flew in. Hiccup quickly explained his theory and gave them instructions.

"Just do a fly by. See if there are any obvious signs of activity, whether it's dragons or humans. Don't land, just mark it on the map and head to the next area."

"Why can't we check it out ourselves?" Hiccup sighed.

"Astrid, we don't know how many of Drago's followers are out there. Neither do we know how they would react to seeing our riders."

"What if we find dragons in the traps?" Fishlegs questioned, giving his Gronkle, Meatlug, a gentle pat.

"Leave them alone. They'll likely be those Drago couldn't control and was forced to leave behind during the invasion. Expect them to be scared, hungry, and aggressive. I don't want any of you getting hurt trying to free them. That will be a job for me and Toothless, since he's the new alpha." Hiccup pulled a map from the leather pouch on his wrist guard, laying it out on the ground in front of them.

"Astrid, you take the twins and check out the areas between here and Drago's fortress. Fishlegs, take Snotlout and scout from Berk to the Dragon Sanctuary. Then all of you double back and report anything unusual you've seen."

"On it!" the twins yelled in unison, not bothering to stay for any further instruction. Astrid groaned and rolled her sky colored eyes.

"I'll make sure they don't destroy anything too important," she yelled, taking off after them. Snotlout and Fishlegs left as well, in a different direction. Hiccup groaned tiredly, moving his neck from side to side in an effort to relieve his sore muscles.

"Well," he turned to his mother. "I have more to do so I will see you later, when the riders get back. Let me know if you need anything."

"Actually, I do." Valka gestured to the forgotten forge plans with a sly grin. Her son rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Er, right…"

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><p>It was only a few hours before Astrid and the others had returned.<p>

"Hiccup! We found something I think you should see," the lovely young woman called as the dragon riders all landed. Hiccup grunted as he helped to place the last roof board of a hut, before turning and climbing back down.

"You weren't gone long. Did you find the hideout Eret mentioned?"

"Yes, but that's not all. Hiccup, there were traps all over it, and what looked like a massive cage. As soon as we got close, the whole thing began shaking like crazy and there was this terrible roar. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard before!" Hiccup paled slightly at her description.

"Right," he glanced at the five of them. "Do you guys think your dragons are up for another flight?" Snotlout scoffed, folding thick arms across his wide chest.

"Well, duh. Hookfang could fly all day, no problem! Isn't that right, Hookfang?" The red and black Monstrous Nightmare huffed loudly at its rider, blowing thick smoke from its nostrils. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"I'll take that as a yes. Toothless!" The Night Fury looked up from his perch at a dragon feeding station. "Ready to go flying, bud?" Toothless wriggled happily in reply, iridescent scales flashing in the sunlight. The young chief settled himself in the saddle, locking his prosthetic leg into the control mechanism for his dragon's tailfin. He gave a nod to the others.

"Let's go." With that, the six of them took off, circling the island once before making their way to Drago's abandoned hideout. Unaware of just what they would find there, and how it would forever change their lives.

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><p>It didn't take long for the six dragon riders to reach the small, abandoned hideout nestled in the small cliffs of an outlying island. As they circled, Toothless began sniffing the air intently, a deep rumbling emanating from within his throat. Hiccup felt a shiver run down his spine as he glanced over the decrepit structure barely clinging to the steep rock. Various styles of traps and war machines littered the main area which was surrounded by a high wooden wall. At the very center stood a massive cage, its interior shadowed in darkness giving an unearthly feel to the place.<p>

"Astrid, you said that there was movement in the cage the first time you flew by?"

"Yes, but there isn't now. That's strange..."

"Hey, Hiccup. You don't think it could be like that Screaming Death, do you?" The viking chieftain turned to his fellow dragon expert, a large yet gentle young man wearing a vest and tunic of thick fur, along with a small helmet covering his short blond hair.

"Hmm...maybe, Fishlegs. The size is about right. Alright guys, find a safe spot to land and head to the big cage. Just stay quiet, and keep an eye out for anything that seems out of place." Alighting carefully between the dragon traps, the vikings began exploring the outpost. Hiding behind the half-finished structure of a catapult, they peered over at the massive cage.

"See anything?" Hiccup whispered.

"No...I don't think so-" Astrid began before being interrupted by Fishlegs who quietly called out in a nervous tone.

"There! I think I just saw a tail for a second."

"Details?"

"Kind of a red-orange, long, with some sort of fin towards the end. Not enough for a proper identification."

"Okay, all of you stay here while I go on ahead with Toothless."

"Hiccup-"

"No, Astrid. Toothless is the alpha now. If anyone can handle this, it's him, and I need to be there too." The warrior maiden nodded, displeased but understanding of the situation. Wary of their footing, both dragon and rider began slowly making their way forward, freezing at the slightest sound or movement within the cage.

Before they had even covered half the distance, a low, blood-chilling growl cut through the eerie silence. The Night Fury immediately let out a reverberating call of his own. The two sounds competing in a hair-raising symphony, growing in volume until Toothless gave a sudden deafening shriek, overpowering his contender. Hiccup let out a breath he had unknowingly been holding, relieved that his dragon had managed to establish some form of understanding with the imprisoned creature.

"Good work, bud." Hiccup motioned for the others to move forward before turning back to his dragon.

"Think you could get it to come out more, Toothless?" Said creature replied by letting out a softer, almost coaxing bark, his ears alert and posture relaxed. All was quiet for a moment until a drawn out huff came from within the cage. Toothless stiffened at this, releasing a displeased hiss followed by a commanding roar. Finally, the dragon within the cage began to move forward. The viking's mouths fell open in wide-eyed wonder at the sight before them.

The dragon was a beautiful red-orange like that of a sunset, dark and rusty hued in some areas, and brilliantly vivid in others. Four thick and powerful legs ended in perfectly sharp and lethal claws. Its body was long and lithe, snake-like and muscular. Two long ears, similar to the Night Fury's twitched at each little sound, lined in a ribbon of black which extended down over blood-red eyes. It's head was long and pointed, ending in a whiskered snout bearing long, snarling teeth. Two massive wings lay tucked against its side, covered in thick armored scales, the same color as the rest of its body. A wicked black claw adorned the very tip of each which extended to raven-hued ribbing along the wing membranes. The most startling feature on the dragon, however, were its tails. A total of nine in number, each flowing purposefully in a graceful dance; thin, with a rippling fin along the end. The dragon riders stood in awe until Hiccup broke the reverent silence

"Incredible," he began in a hushed whisper, before his voice grew in volume and excitement. "L-look at the size of this thing, it's easily as long as the old alpha! Just more slender, streamlined even." Berk's chief moved around to the front of the creature to study its face.

"And the snout, it's unlike anything I've ever seen before! It makes it look almost... fox-like," Hiccup mused, holding his chin. Snotlout snorted loudly.

"Yeah right. Oh look there! It's a massive nine tailed fox coming to eat us! Oh no, run away!" The brash viking cackled as he threw his hands in the air in mock fright.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want, 'Lout. But I'm serious. Have you ever seen a dragon like this?"

"...well, no but-"

"Exactly! Which is why we have to be careful. There's no telling what this one can do…"

"Maybe it shoots massive balls of light out of its jaws!"

"Or maybe it has some sort of evil energy powers!"

"Hehe! Yeah, or maybe it-"

"Ruff! Tuff! That's enough. You can speculate on it later, now we need to get it free from this trap and..." Hiccup trailed off, a puzzled look on his face.

"And?..." Astrid prompted.

"Shh...did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That knocking sound- there it is again!" Hiccup hissed, glancing around. The six of them stood quietly, waiting. The strange noise continued before a quiet, hoarse voice followed.

_"Tasukete. Shite kudasai."_ They all reacted purely out of instinct, bolting towards the source of the child-like sound. Running down the wooden walkway before wrenching open the single, locked door. Upon rushing inside, their worst fears were confirmed. A boy, no older than eight, sat huddled in the far corner of the room. Manacles were locked around each of his wrists and neck, along with iron chains wrapped around his ankles and middle. The child looked at them in near terror through filthy blond bangs, but they could see the stunning cerulean blue of his eyes.

"A-Astrid," Hiccup managed to stutter out. The young woman nodded, understanding what he was requesting of her. Slowly, carefully, she crept towards the child, whose eyes went wide at the movement.

_"Ch-chigau! Chigau! Watashi o kizutsukenaide k-kudasai!"_ Astrid's brow furrowed in thought, trying to think of a way to calm the boy. She sat on the floor a short ways from the panicking child and held her hands in a placating gesture.

"I'm not going to hurt you, uh...No hurt? Help you?" She motioned with her hands and arms attempting to convey what she meant. The boy paused at her soft tone and looked at her with an intense gaze, as if evaluating if she posed a threat.

_"N-nani?"_

"Erm...oh, I am Astrid. Astrid." she spoke, pointing to herself and repeating her name several times.

_"A...Asto...Astrido?"_

"Yeah, I'm Astrid. ?" The child moved his face slightly to the side in an innocent manner, understanding the question after a momentary pause. Though apparently reluctant, he eventually gave an answer.

_"N-naruto."_

"Naruto? Your name is Naruto?"

_"Hai,"_ he replied, nodding his head.

"Er...oh, can we, uh, free you?" She asked, pointing to the shackles and chains binding him.

_"Eh?"_ Astrid tried again, acting out the motions of unlocking the manacles.

"Free you?" A sudden, albeit miniscule spark of hope was lit in the tiny child's eyes. Shakily, he held out his wrists. Astrid smiled gently at the show of trust.

"Yes, that's it. Don't worry. You're safe now. Safe?"

_"S-sēfu?"_

"Yes, er..._Hai_. Uh, _sēfu_."

That one word caused the child to burst into tears, sobbing into his chained arms. Fishlegs moved forward immediately, making quick work of the locks with a small hunting knife. Astrid lightly touched the frail boy's arm, causing him to look up sharply, fully showing his face to them for the first time. It was their turn to gasp as they took stock of the sight before them. Bruises were scattered here and there, along with trails of dried blood. Cracked and swollen lips trembled. To top it all off, three whisker-like scars marred each nearly emaciated cheek.

The sight tugged at their hearts, and each wished to somehow comfort the child, but feared to scare him further. However, the boy, Naruto, showed his inner strength to them by quickly drying his own tears and gaining growing confidence in his newfound freedom.

_"Arigatō, eh,"_ the child scrunched his nose slightly in a manner that Hiccup and Astrid couldn't help but find adorable. _"Onamae wa?"_

"Uh…"

_"Etsu? Ne Naruto,"_ the frail boy placed a palm on his chest._ "Anata wa, Astrido."_ He moved his hand to point first at Astrid, then towards Hiccup as he continued. _"Anata?"_

"Oh, I'm Hiccup, uh, Hiccup?"

_"Hicca?"_

"Close enough, I guess." The child smiled slightly.

_"Arigatō, Hicca-san."_ Naruto's crystal blue eyes suddenly grew enormous and he let out a sharp gasp.

_"Kurama?! Doko ni aru no Kurama? Doko ryūdesu?!"_ The tiny boy attempted to stand, but gave an instantaneous shout of pain as his legs collapsed beneath him.

In reply to the pained cry, a ferocious roar shook the entire platform and chilled the blood of all but the blue-eyed child, whose expression grew to one of joy. Understanding hit Astrid like a thunderbolt from Thor himself.

"Hiccup! The dragon!" The chieftain nodded, stepping forward slowly. The child watched him through pain clouded eyes as he knelt a short distance away.

"Naruto?" The boy nodded. Hiccup pointed to the doorway, then made the motion of carrying the child.

"Kurama? Take you to Kurama?" The chief held out a hand to Naruto, who shied away slightly. Hiccup gave him a small smile, before closing his eyes and letting his head turn away. The others watched as the cerulean eyes widened in surprise and astonishment, until a tiny, frail hand was placed carefully in the young man's gently grasp.

_"Hicca-san,"_ the child whispered. _"Kurama? Naruto?"_ Hiccup nodded before smoothly scooping the frail child into his arms, careful not to jostle his obvious wounds or apparently pained leg. Naruto froze momentarily at the contact, before sinking slightly into the warm embrace. As they moved up the rickety ladder, the boy casting one fleeting glance at the bloody chains before shivering and turning forward once more. The moment Naruto's head was within sight of the great dragon, it began to thrash wildly in its restraints

_"Kurama!"_ Everything stilled as child and dragon stared at each other intently, red eyes locked with blue ones. Motioning to be let down, Naruto was gently set on the ground directly in front of the cage.

_"Sore wa daijōbudesu, Kurama. Karera wa sutekida. Watashitachiha genchi harai."_ The dragon remained still and silent as they made quick work of the trap and mechanism. Once freed however, he immediately bounded towards the boy, enormous body curling around him in protective coils. The dragon glared and huffed at the six vikings, until the blond-haired child patted his snout.

_"Kurama, Teishi shite kudasai."_ Kurama glance between the two before lovingly licking the boy and relaxing slightly. Hiccup took a single step forward, motioning for the others to stay.

"Kurama," the young man slowly raised his hand, palm facing out. The foreign dragon seemed to analyze him for a moment, before nodding his enormous flame colored head. Bending down until the very tip of his nose brushed against Hiccup's hand.

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><p><strong>Translations: (Japanese-English)<strong>

**"Tasukete. Shite kudasai." - "Please. Help me."**

**"Ch-chigau! Chigau! Watashi o kizutsukenaide k-kudasai!" - "N-no! No! Don't hurt me!"**

**"N-nani?" - "W-what?"**

**"Hai," - "Yes."**

**"Sēfu?" - "Safe?"**

**"Arigatō, eh, onamae wa?" - "Thank you, uh, what is your name?"**

**"Etsu? Ne Naruto. " - "Eh? I'm Naruto."**

**"Anata wa Astrido." - "You are Astrid."**

**"Anata?" - "You?"**

**"Arigatō, Hicca-san." - "Thank you, Mr. Hiccup"**

**"Kurama?! Doko ni aru no Kurama? Doko ryūdesu?!" - "Kurama?! Where is Kurama?! Where is my dragon?!"**

**"Sore wa daijōbudesu, Kurama. Karera wa sutekida. Watashitachiha genchi harai." - "Don't worry, Kurama. They're nice. Let us help you.**

**"Kurama, Teishi shite kudasai." - "Kurama, please stop."**


	2. Chapter 2: Return of the Chief

_Disclaimer: All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Viz Media, Cressida Cowel, and DreamWorks Animation; cover art belongs to Cheif117John on deviantArt_

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, favorited, commented on, and critiqued my story! You are all amazing! **Reviews, constructive criticism and ideas are welcome. No flames please.****

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><p>Both humans and dragons remained frozen, transfixed as Hiccup stood with his hand resting on the fearsome dragon. Kurama held the connection for another moment before pulling away, giving a slight huff that engulfed the vikings in a warm wreath of air. Hiccup smiled, recalling a similar occurrence with Toothless all those years ago.<p>

The chieftain turned back to the boy, still held close within the dragon's enormous coils. Now that the initial rush of freedom had worn off, the child was clearly near the point of collapse. Hiccup nodded to himself, his decision made.

"We need to get them to Berk." The young man began rummaging through the Night Fury's saddlebag, watching from the corner of his eye as Kurama cradled the ever weaken youth.

"Naruto," he called, finding the item he was after. He displayed the thick, fur wrap to Naruto before offering it to him. The boy hesitated, but upon feeling the softness of the cloak he immediately pulled it around his battered self, burrowing into its layered warmth.

It was difficult to convey their message, but eventually the former prisoners understood the viking's desire to bring them both back to the village. Soon, Naruto was securely settled on Toothless' back, although Kurama watched their every movement with his eyes narrowed in an unwavering gaze. The sunset colored dragon had growled menacingly when the boy left his protective embrace, but quickly calmed down after a sharp sound from the newly name alpha.

The viking chief enjoyed the look of curious wonderment that was upon the youth's face as he gazed at the different dragons. He was obviously used to the creatures, being neither intimidated nor worried. If anything, he seemed more relaxed in their presence, and the scholar couldn't help but question what, if anything, his life's experience held beyond Drago's walls. Sitting behind the frail child, Hiccup locked his prosthetic into place then gave a nod to his dragon riders.

"The moment we reach the village each of you has a task. Astrid, you and Fishlegs are in charge of Kurama. Keep him in open areas, away from the main village, because even an accidental swipe of those tails could bring down the huts. Snotlout, you go and find Gothi, tell her it's an emergency. Ruff, Tuff both of you go and find my mother, Eret, and Gobber then meet up at Gothi's home. Think you can handle that?"

"Psh! Come on, Hiccup? It's me we're talking about, I can handle anything!" Snotlout boasted, flexing his arms and trying to look intimidating.

"Wait, so who do we find again?"

"His mother, idiot!"

"Along with Eret and Gobber, please try to remember, you two." Hiccup sighed.

"Fine," the twins chorused.

"I'll try to stay as close to Kurama as I can. All of you form a circle around us." The leather clad viking locked eyes with the mysterious dragon, a silent agreement being reached.

"Let's go."

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><p>By the time they reached the village Naruto had lost consciousness, greatly worrying Hiccup and surprisingly, Astrid as well. The villagers had immediately begun gathering upon sighting their new leader, gaping in awe at the massive dragon flying beside him. The group split, moving to carry out their preassigned duties. Managing to find an open field Astrid, Fishlegs, and Hiccup coaxed Kurama into landing. Fishlegs nervously glanced between Hiccup and the strange dragon.<p>

"How are we going to get him to stay here while you take Naruto to Gothi's?"

"I've asked myself the same question. Naruto is in bad shape, so we'll need to hurry." He gazed around, finding one of the outlying feeding stations.

"Maybe we could-" He stopped as Kurama suddenly moved forward. He brought his vulpine-like snout close to the bundle in Hiccup's arms giving it a gentle sniff, then bent his head until chieftain and dragon were eye to eye. Hiccup knew the power a dragon's eye held. It was a viewing into their innermost self, a pure expression of their hearts and minds. He could clearly see what the dragon was trying to say. I trust you. Take care of him, or else… The unspoken threat was there, as was the implicit trust. Hiccup bowed his head slightly in return, recalling some of the words he heard Naruto speak earlier.

"_Hai_. Naruto...er, _sēfu_." It was apparently the correct thing to say, because Kurama's body relaxed slightly and he strode off towards the feeding platform without another sound. Astrid and Fishlegs had watched the exchange with trepidation until Hiccup gave them a quick nod before taking off once more, leaving them to mind the, now content, dragon.

With several beats of his bat-like wings, Toothless arrived at Gothi's house, high on the hillside above Berk's main center. Snotlout along with Ruffnut and Tuffnut were already there, still astride their dragons.

"How's that Mr. think-you-can-handle-that? They're all inside waiting for you!"

"Thanks, Snotlout. You too, Ruff, Tuff. I'll handle it from here. Go ahead and help the other's with Kurama." Without another word the chieftain rushed into the hut, clutching his motionless burden. The villager healer, Gothi; his mother; the blacksmith, Gobber, and Eret were all inside, eager to know what was going on. Hiccup simply pulled back a portion of the fur covering, exposing filthy and blood-matted blond hair. A chorus of gasps sounded out.

"It turns out dragons weren't the only ones Bludvist enslaved." The other's gaped in horror, knowing instinctively that such a small frame could only belong to a child. Gothi, however, swiftly began the business of unwrapping and preparing her patient. Bruises, dried blood, and all manner of filth were carefully washed away with herbal water before the wounds were wrapped, and in some areas stitched together. Hiccup felt anger rising within him at being able to count each one of the child's ribs, and at how there seemed to be nothing but skin left to hold everything together.

Valka laid a calming hand on her son's tense shoulders, assuring him with her presence. He momentarily wished to embrace her in return, until he remembered the blood still covering his hands and clothing.

"Hiccup. Chief?" Gobber hesitantly spoke. "The village'll be anxious ta' know what's goin' on. What'll we tell 'em?" Hiccup looked over at the now sleeping boy being carefully tucked into Gothi's small bed. He sighed, knowing what he had to do.

"I'll address them, just call everyone to gather in the new Mead Hall. Mom, can you stay here and help Gothi?"

"Of course, son. Ya'd better change your clothes and get in a quick wash before the meetin', though." Hiccup agreed.

"Gobber, Eret, Toothless and I will meet you there, please keep everyone calm until we arrive."

"Aye, chief!"

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><p>Hiccup stood before the large, newly carved doors of the rebuilt Hall. Bracing himself for the meeting he was about to enter. He had only been chief for three days, after all. Unwillingly, too. But this was the legacy left to him by his late father. An inheritance he planned to cherish despite all of its harsh realities. The young man exhaled slowly, organizing and composing his thoughts.<p>

"I can do this," was whispered to the cool breeze before he pushed open the heavy wooden doors. Raucous shouts, music, and the strong scents of ale, tallow and sweat hit his senses in a dizzying array. Vikings sat at tables eating and drinking their fill, huddled over the main fire, or walking about the large room. The feeling of easy comfort quickly disappeared from the air, however, as the majority spotted Hiccup.

"Chief! There ya' are! Wha's this news everyone's been talkin' 'bout?"

"Aye, chief. The meetin' fer?"

"Hiccup, lad. You doin' alrigh'?"

"Lookin' a might peaky if'n ya ask me."

"Well I was'na askin' yew!"

"Oy! No need 'ta be angry!"

"Pipe down, all a ya, an' listen ta yer chief!"

"But 'es jus' standin' there lookin-" A shrill, piercing whistle cut through the gruff arguments and shouts like a blade, and Hiccup's shoulders sagged in relief. Gobber stood near the main bonfire, fingers still hovering near his mouth.

"Alrigh' ya jackanapes! Stow ya gab an' listen ta the chief! Let 'im explain wha's goin on, and then ye can ask yer bloody questions!"

"Er, thank you, Gobber...I think," he turned to the gathered villagers, his villagers, his people. Hiccup sent a silent plea to the gods for success in his endeavor. "Everyone, as you know, I recently returned with the other dragon riders from. I'm sure you also know that we didn't come back alone. During our flight we found an abandoned outpost, belonging to Drago Bludvist." Angry cries broke out at the name, and it was several minutes before they quieted down again.

"As I was saying, the outpost was abandoned but it was not, however, empty. We rescued two prisoners from there. One was a dragon, one of the largest I've ever seen. It's likely that Drago simply couldn't control it and was forced to instead detain it there. The other captive, though, wasn't a dragon at all." Hiccup could feel emotion gathering within his chest and throat.

"It was a human, a...a child." Stunned silence rang throughout the hall, and the chief continued before any noise could interrupt him once again. "The child, a young boy, is currently with Gothi. She will tend to his wounds and hopefully restore him to full health."

"Hiccup," Gobber spoke out. "Is 'e from one 'o' the other tribes?"

"As far as I can tell? No. He doesn't seem to speak any form of our language. And no, it isn't latin either. He's obviously neither a viking nor a roman. It wasn't easy, but we've established a level of communication with him that should soon provide further answers. I ask all of you to leave Gothi and the boy, along with the dragon, alone. I don't want to risk any incidents until we know the whole story. That is all, Eret, I need to speak with you, the rest of you can return to your work."

Hiccup sat heavily on nearby bench as the crowd dispersed. Leaving only Eret and Gobber with him in the Hall. Eret's face held a look of increasing displeasure.

"I had an idea of what Drago might have at that outpost...but never...never a child!"

"A madman, tha's what 'e was!"

"I think we've already established what Drago's state of mind was. The real question now is how did it happen? How did Naruto end up as Bludvist's prisoner?"

"Naru-wha?"

"Naruto. That's the boy's name, and the dragon is Kurama."

"Odd soundin' names if'n ya ask me."

"For us, maybe. But that's more likely due to them being foreign."

"Yeah, but just how foreign are we talkin' about?"

"That, I don't know. We've explored so little outside of the Archipelago. we know the Romans are to the South, and to the West there's miles of open ocean. That just leaves the East."

"But 'iccup, we've all heard tales of what ta' the East! It's supposed ta' be full of all manner 'o' creatures and strange happenin's. Those who go East...never return."

"But why? Think about it. None but the vikings have dared to settle the Archipelago. It's a harsh and unforgiving place to live, yet we're here anyways. Is it so hard to imagine that another people has dared, at one point or another, to conquer the unknown East?" They could think of no reply to that, and the three men sat together in silence for several minutes, each wrapped in his own thoughts. Their musing was broken by Valka entering. Hiccup sat upright immediately, eager for news from Gothi. His mother smiled at him gently.

"The boy's awake."

* * *

><p>Floating in darkness, that is how Naruto would describe his current situation. Endless and unchanging emptiness. He'd experienced this before, on numerous occasions, yet this time seemed different. There was a sense of safety and peace, instead of the usual dread of awakening. As though he subconsciously knew there was nothing to fear in the world outside his mind. But that would be impossible, for wouldn't he open his eyes to find that terrifying man glaring down at him? He would begin growling out unintelligible words, shaking his fist in anger. Of course the boy couldn't answer, being unable to give any manner of satisfactory reply. Acknowledging the dark clothed man only brought pain, but refusing him brought about the same results in the end.<p>

A picture flashed through the blackness of a tall, kind looking man holding out a hand, a gentle smile gracing his face. Who was this? Never in his life did he meet such a man. Or, did he? A second moment of color streaked by, this time of large green eyes that seemed to glow with intelligence and life. How could this be? How could these two brief sights seem so foreign and yet familiar at the same time? More images assaulted Naruto's mind: bloody shackles and chains, a dark room, a door slamming open, a woman with pale blond hair, leather clad arms carrying him, Kurama thrashing about in a cage, a sleek black dragon looking at him in happiness as the boy sat on its back. Then a name came to him, Astrid, followed by another, Hiccup.

Suddenly, the veil seemed to fall away from his mind and Naruto began to sense his surroundings. Something soft and furry covered him in warmth, the scent of herbs and woodsmoke tickled his nose, and his back lay against something slightly lumpy but not altogether uncomfortable. Then came the sounds. Someone spoke with that same twisting, guttural speech as before, but this time in an elegant female voice. It seemed a monumental effort, but the child eventually managed to open his startlingly blue eyes.

The world was blurry and he blinked several times. Things began come into focus slowly, and the boy realized he was tucked carefully into someone's small bed and wrapped in thick animal skins. Looking around he saw a fire blazing in a hearth and dried herbs hung from the ceiling. Movement caught his attention and he glanced over to see two women working at a table in the far corner. One was tall and slender, with auburn hair braided and hanging down her back. The other was very small, around Naruto's height, with silver-gray hair and a staff in one hand.

Naruto froze, fear clutching at his heart and tearing into his stomach. he tried to bite back the whimper forming in his throat, but it escaped. The small sound was clearly heard in the quiet hut, and the taller women swiftly took notice and turned towards him.

_"Gothi,"_ she spoke._ "Guttens våken."_ The woman smiled at him, and he noticed just how greatly she resembled the brown-haired man from his memories.

_"Hvordan føler du deg, barn?"_ When he didn't reply she frowned slightly, carefully watching his frightened face.

_"Tis en forferdelig forbrytelse for en så ung som du har blitt behandlet så grusomt."_ She murmured the words quietly to herself in a soothing tone. Naruto stared, the same feeling of calm and comfort that he had felt in the presence of the brown-haired man, Hiccup, he believed his name was, had returned. That is when he noticed the similarities between the two. The soft tone, the kind green eyes, the gentle smile. The boy thought to himself that, perhaps, if he could have trusted the man who rescued him, he could trust her. Naruto allowed his lips to turn up at the corners ever so slightly.

"H-hello," he whispered. A look of relief washed over the woman's face. She then held up a slim hand, pointing to herself.

_"Valka. Jeg er Valka."_ Naruto recalled the phrase being said by Hiccup, and the blond-haired woman, Astrid. He raised a small hand towards her.

"V-vaka?" he asked, having difficulty forming the sounds correctly. She nodded.

_"Ja, mitt navn er Valka, og dette er Gothi. Gothi."_ Valka gestured to the shorter woman.

"G-goti?"

_"Nær nok."_ Valka stood from where she had knelt at Naruto's bedside. _"Hiccup? Husker du, Hiccup?"_ The boy perked up slightly at the name, and Valka pointed first at herself, then the door. _"Jeg henter Hiccup. Valka få Hiccup. Forstår?"_

"Vaka...Hiccup?"

_"Ja. God gutten, jeg vil være tilbake snart."_ He watched as she strode out the door, leaving him alone with the still silent Gothi.

"Um...hi." Gothi smiled, but said nothing. The hut was silent except for the crackling of the fire for several moments.

"So...you, um...help people feel better? Uh, a healer?" He questioned, pointing at the hanging herbs. She glanced at them, then nodded then gestured down towards Naruto's body. The blond child tilted his head to the side and looked. He blinked in surprise, barely noticing the numerous bandages which covered him. He examined his carefully wrapped wrists before lifting the fur blanket slightly. The child gasped softly at seeing the stiff braces on each bone-thin leg. He moved wide eyes to stare at the healer.

"You helped me?" Again, she spoke no words, only raising her head in affirmation. Naruto felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes. It had seemed forever ago that someone cared for him, helped him, healed him. He couldn't remember how long he had been with that man. Drago, the name sent shivers down his back and he winced at the pain caused by the sharp movement. The child was glad that the bandages covered nearly every portion of his skin, he didn't want to see the bruises and cuts. He didn't want to remember what he had seen and felt.

The door suddenly opened, wrenching him from his dark thoughts. A familiar face peeked around the doorframe and Naruto couldn't help the full smile that bloomed across his lips.

"Mr. Hiccup." The man returned his grin.

_"Naruto."_

* * *

><p><strong> Translations:<strong>

**"Gothi, guttens våken." - "Gothi, the lad's awake."**

**"Hvordan føler du deg, barn?" - "How are you feeling, child?"**

**"Tis en forferdelig forbrytelse for en så ung som du har blitt behandlet så grusomt." - "Tis a terrible crime for one as young as you to have been treated so cruelly."**

**"Valka. Jeg er Valka." - "Valka. I am Valka."**

**"Ja, mitt navn er Valka, og dette er Gothi." - "Yes, my name is Valka, and this is Gothi."**

**"Nær nok." - "Close enough."**


	3. Chapter 3: The Unknown East

_Disclaimer: All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Viz Media, Cressida Cowel, and DreamWorks Animation; cover art belongs to Cheif117John on deviantArt_

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><p><strong>AN: **

**Thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed my story! Feel free to send me any ideas, comments, or pieces of constructive criticism!**

* * *

><p>Seeing the boy awake and smiling filled Hiccup's heart with warmth, the words he spoke moved it to overflowing.<p>

_"Hicca-san"_

"Naruto" The smile suddenly fell from the child's face, replaced by a look of fear as he stared over Hiccup's shoulder. The chief looked to see that both Eret and Gobber had entered behind him.

"Glad ta see ye awake, laddie!" Gobber failed to notice the boy flinch at his booming voice, Hiccup however, did. He quickly ushered the two large vikings back out the door, despite their protests.

"Hiccup, what're ye doin'?"

"Couldn't you see? He was scared of you!"

"But why, chief?" Hiccup sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It's your size, Eret. You both have the classic viking body, unlike me. I have the same physique as Naruto does."

"Aye, yer both small, lanky, an' not very viking-like."

"Thanks for summing that up, Gobber. But anyways, think about why Naruto would be scared of you two. Who do you think you remind him of?" Eret clenched his jaw in understanding.

"Drago…"

"Exactly, but unlike you, Drago was nothing short of a madman. Thus, the boy's fear."

"So what'll ye do, 'iccup?"

"Until the situation changes only myself, Mom, Gothi, and Astrid will be allowed near Naruto. I'd like to get him moved to my home by tonight, he can stay there until he's fully healed."

"Why Astrid?"

"When we first found him he seemed fairly comfortable around her. Another familiar face would do him good. She actually became sort of...I don't know, motherly towards him at some point." Gobber laughed.

"An' so it's begun. Watch out, 'iccup. Pretty soon she'll be wantin' little babes of 'er own!" The brunette blushed a deep red at that comment.

"G-Gobber!" The blacksmith slapped him soundly on the back.

"Ye'd better get back in there. We'll go find Astrid an' let 'er know the plan." Still flushed, Hiccup nodded and retreated into the hut. Naruto looked up sharply as he entered, before relaxing upon seeing who it was.

_"Hicca-san, eh, gomen'nasai. K-karera wa watashi o kowagara seta."_ Despite not understanding the boy's words, Hiccup recognized the look of apologetic embarrassment on his face. He held up a hand in a calming gesture.

"It's alright. It'll just be us. Erm...only me, Mom and Gothi." He pointed to each of them in turn as he spoke. The child blinked for a moment before nodding.

_"Hicca-san, Vakka-san, to Goti-san?"_

"Uh, yeah." Hiccup turned to Gothi.

"Is he ready to be moved to my home yet?" The healer dipped her head in affirmation. "Then let's get going, it's starting to get late and I would like him to be settled by evening." The two women began preparing the boy as he looked on in confusion. He seemed calm enough, but Hiccup could see the slight stiffness to the child's shoulders. The viking placed a gentle hand on Naruto's own, and he flinched briefly at the contact.

"Naruto," the chieftain whispered quietly.

_"H-hai?"_ Hiccup smiled at him in the same way he would for a frightened dragon. The effect was instantaneous, the boy relaxed and returned his grin, assured as to his safety.

_"Arigatou, Hicca-san."_

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, Naruto was tucked happily in Hiccup's own small bed, petting contentedly at the soft fur blankets. The three vikings were glad that the child was so easily satisfied, yet unhappy that such a simple thing as a warm bed could give him so much comfort. They all looked up as the bedroom door creaked open. Astrid walked in, her long blond hair still pulled to the side in a braid, with loose bangs framing either side of her face. Naruto stared at the fur clad maiden for a moment, before his eyes widened in recognition.<p>

_"Asta-Astri-Astrido-san?"_ Astrid blinked in surprise.

"He remembers me?"

"Apparently, I think he...what is he doing?" The boy was trying to scoot forward on the bed, despite his immobile legs. His eyes remained fixed on Astrid as he stretched out a hand. The shieldmaiden walked forward slowly and sat down beside the child. Almost reverently, Naruto reached up a hand and touched the large fur cape and hood on her shoulders. Hiccup stifled a laugh at the expression of wonderment on the boy's face and the look of bewilderment on Astrid's.

"He really likes soft things." The blond maiden grinned at that, and in a single motions swept the off her cape and placed in around the child. Despite being thin herself, the fur absolutely dwarfed the tiny youth, but he didn't seem to mind. Naruto gave a small cry of joy and began rubbing his cheek against the fuzzy hide.

"Back ya go, lad." Valka gingerly pulled him back onto the pillows and once again pulled the blankets around him. Astrid looked on as she did.

"He sure seems to recover quickly…"

"Yeah, although he still get's scared easily. You should have seen his reaction to Gobber and Eret."

"What happened?"

"It was like being in that outpost prison all over again."

"But, why only them? He seems fine enough with us."

"I think there are two reasons for this; one, he seems to trust women more readily than men, which considering his time with that madman isn't so surprising, second, we're...er...smaller."

"Hiccup…"

"Ouch! I didn't mean it like that, Astrid! Why do women have such sharp elbows?" He murmured the last part under his breath before continuing. "Bludvist was tall, big, and mean. We all are much smaller than him. Naruto doesn't seem to like loud voices either, Gobber's nearly made him come unglued."

"I guess that makes sense...He seems to understand us fairly well."

"Kind of. He's pretty good at reading people's intentions, a skill I'm not so sure an eight year old should already have. It says a lot about what the boy has gone through. But, when it comes to any kind of language...let's just say that progress is pretty slow."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, he's able to understand some things, but not much. So far all I've been able to do is point to something and tell him the word for it and then he'll do the same."

"Well, that's a start."

"Yeah, but I wish I could think of some way to really connect with...him…" Astrid blinked in surprise as he trailed off. She noticed the look of shock on his face as he stared behind her. The viking maiden turned to find what had made him pause. She started at what she saw. Naruto was laying in the bed, a sketchbook in hand that Valka had given him from Hiccup's stash. The boy had a charcoal pencil and was drawing on the parchment. It was the artwork, however, that amazed them both. With only a few short lines, Naruto had captured Kurama in all his glory. The sketch was both simple and ornate, with wonderful detail and life. The child's face held an expression of pure serenity and happiness as he continued to work on his drawing.

"That's it!" Hiccup whispered in excitement.

"What's it?"

"A way to communicate with him!" Hiccup walked over to the boy, pulling out his own notebook and map.

"Naruto," he knelt by the bed and pointed to the sketch. "Kurama?" The child's smile widened and he nodded emphatically. The chieftain spread out the map on the blanket and set one of his own drawings on top. Naruto gasped at seeing a likeness of the saddled Night Fury.

_"Kokuryū-chan!"_ Hiccup grinned, despite being unable to understand the words spoken.

"Toothless," he replied, pointing at the sketch. The blond child tilted his head in confusion, and if Hiccup hadn't known better, he would've thought he'd heard a small coo come from Astrid. The viking shook the thought from his head.

"Toothless," he repeated.

_"Tuu...Tuue...Tuuess...eh, Tuus-chan?"_

"I guess that will work." He gestured once again to the parchment.

"Toothless," he then pointed at the map, more specifically, Berk's location on said map."

"Berk."

_"Bik?"_

"Berk."

_"Bi...Biii-eeerk...Biii-eerk…...Bik?"_ Hiccup groaned in frustration and Astrid clamped a hand over her mouth to hide a laugh.

"Sure, whatever. Berk?"

_"Bik,"_ Naruto used his finger to trace a circle around the island. _"Bik?"_ The chieftain nodded. Once again, the child gestured to a the map, this time at the whole Archipelago. _"Bik?"_

"No," he moved the boy's hand back to the small island. "Berk." Naruto's brows furrowed and he began to look over the map in earnest.

_"Doko no iedesu ka?"_

"Uh…"

_"Doko Konoha no? Konoha no sato?!"_ Hiccup could see the child becoming frantic and quickly intervened.

"Naruto. Uh...Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid," he tapped their island on the map. "Berk. Home. Naruto," the viking touched a finger to the boy's sketchbook. "Home?" A spark was suddenly lit in the cerulean blue eyes.

_"Ā! Ā! Mappu!"_ The four vikings chuckled at the quick change in temperament that the boy displayed and gathered around to view the increasingly marked parchment with curiosity. Hiccup's head whirled as he watched a strange shape come into being.

"Is that...a map?" Astrid whispered.

"I don't know, I've never seen anything like it." They continued to observe as the child carefully created a drawing of what appeared to be a very large land mass. Once the boy finished with the main portion, he began making minute circles near the left of the parchment.

_"Yatta!"_ The abrupt yell startled them, and Hiccup suddenly found the sketchbook directly in front of his face. Naruto positively beamed as he showed off his work, which was rather impressive for an eight year old. The vikings gazed at the freshly drawn map in surprise. The land pictured there was nothing like they had ever seen before.

"Er...Naruto," Hiccup began. "Where is this?" The boy simply beamed and pointed at the largest area.

_"Himitsu ryu no kuni, maihōmu. Soko,"_ he placed his finger on a dot near the center of the page. _"Konohadesu. Konoha."_ Hiccup mimicked Naruto's gesture.

"Konoha?"

_"Hai!"_

"Berk?"

_"Sore wa sugu sokodesu!"_ This time the child's tiny fingertip rested upon the equally tiny gathering of dots at the far left of the map. _"Bik!"_

"B-bu-but that's...I-I mean it's...by the power of Thor…"

"Hiccup...if Naruto's right about this…"

"I know. But we can't rule out the fact that he's only eight. But at the same time, despite it being so small, he drew the Barbarian Archipelago perfectly. It's to scale and everything." Valka drew near her son.

"Hiccup, I've traveled far these last twenty years. While I've never seen this land, I have seen this particular symbol before." The young chieftain looked at what she spoke of and raised his brows in surprise. What he had originally thought was a simple dot marking the location of Naruto's 'Konoha', was in fact what looked like a falling leaf, with a swirl at its center.

"That mark is something I came across many years ago. I had found an abandoned shipwreck among the iceberg fields and this symbol was emblazoned on its side. There were no people on board, and nothing left to identify who had owned the vessel."

"Why bring this up, Mom?"

"Because, son. The area where I found it was directly between us...and the Unknown East."

* * *

><p>Naruto laid in the small wooden bed, watching the three adults speaking together in hushed tones. It was obvious that they were talking about him, judging by the less than discreet glances they sent his way. The boy didn't mind. The furs were so soft, they reminded him of home; of the fuzzy fox toy his father had given him for his birthday, of his mother's long red hair that flowed like silk, tickling his face when she kissed him goodnight. He missed them.<p>

_**"I'm sorry, hatchling."**_

"It's not your fault, Kurama." The dragon's voice in his mind soothed the child. Of all the things he'd learned about the flame-colored dragon, Naruto had been most surprised by this particular method of communication. The first time the child had heard the deep, rumbling voice cutting through his own thoughts, he'd been startled out of his wits. Kurama was unique among other dragons, part of a small group of the creatures. They were the Nine Ancestral Dragons, the children of the first dragon to exist, and the true ancestors of all who had come after them. Every species' origin could be traced to one of the nine, despite their wide variety.

The nine Ancestrals guarded the Eastern lands, the original home of magnificent reptiles. Naruto smiled as he remembered when Kurama had explained the story to him.

_Flashback_

Naruto watched as Kurama lit the small bundle of wood he had collected with his plasma-like fire. He sat snuggled into the great dragon's side, beneath the edge of one enormous clawed wing. The boy's heart ached for the family and home he'd left behind several days ago. He didn't want to leave, but in the end the boy had no choice.

_**"Hatchling,"**_ the rich rumbling interrupted his thoughts.

"Hm?"

_**"Have I ever told you of the Ancestral Dragons?"**_

"No...I don't think so. Why?"

_**"You need to learn this. One day, this knowledge may very well save your life. It started many thousands of years ago, before humans came to this land. At that time there was only one dragon in existence, the great Ten-Tails. No one knows how it came to be, but the dragon was a powerful and fearsome beast. It ravaged the land, wreaking havoc and destroying everything in it's path. One day, two brothers landed on our shores, the first of your kind to ever step foot in this land. They were Hagoromo and Hamura Otsusuki. They saw the fertile soil and pure waters as the perfect place to create a new home. But in order to do that, they would have to destroy the Ten-Tails.**_

_**They were the mightiest and most valiant of men. It isn't known exactly how, but they managed to subdue and eventually defeat the beast. However, instead of killing it they kept it captive, desiring to learn what they could of its great strength. The Ten-Tails languished in its cage for many years, watching as a great civilization of men grew around it. Hagoromo and Hamura spent many hours with the dragon, but all they seemed to find was the mindless savagery of an untameable monster.**_

_**Until the day came when Hagoromo noticed something as he went to visit the Ten-Tails that would forever change the course of history. Hagoromo looked into the dragon's ringed eyes and knew in an instant that he and his brother had been wrong all along. For in those blood-red orbs, he saw both emotions and intelligence. He saw a creature that had a mind and heart of its own, just like him. Without hesitation, Hagoromo freed the dragon, but it made no move to hurt him or destroy their home. The Ten-Tails had changed during its days in captivity.**_

_**Hagoromo, Hamura and their people watched in awe and the great dragon began to glow with an unearthly light. Before their very eyes it disappeared leaving in its stead nine pulsing, shining eggs. From those eggs hatched what would become known as the Nine Ancestral Dragons. I was the eldest, Kurama the Nine-Tails. Then came Gyuuki, the Eight-Tails; Chomei, the Seven-Tails; Saiken, the Six-Tails; Kokuo, the Five-Tails; Son Goku, the Four-Tails; Isobu, the Three-Tails; Matatabi, the Two-Tails; and lastly, Shukaku, the One-Tails.**_

_**We each picked an area of the land to guard and protect. Shukaku chose the sprawling deserts, Matatabi chose the high peaks, Isobu and Gyuuki chose the oceans and seas, Son Goku chose the fire-mountains, Kokuo chose the low valleys, Saiken chose the deep caverns, Chomei chose the dense jungles, and I chose the great forests."**_

"I knew that there were Ancestral Dragons, but I didn't know anything about a Ten-Tails!"

_**"That knowledge was kept secret for a reason, Naruto, and I'm entrusting it to you. The Ancestrals have abilities that no other dragon possesses. When we so choose we can speak to others by reaching out with our minds, we control elements of nature, and many other things. We answer to no one but those we trust and respect. Humans tend to lust for power, this is the very reason your parents entrusted you into my care. Take, for instance, the masked man who attacked your village the night of your birthday several days ago. He is one of those who will stop at nothing to obtain ultimate power and control."**_

"But why would he want this old scroll?" Naruto patted the large, ancient scroll tucked safely away in a leather case at his side.

_**"Because that scroll contains the history of your people, your genealogy. And...the Prophecy."**_

"The what?" Kurama sighed deeply.

_**"Before they died, both Hagoromo and Hamura beheld a vision. In it they saw a single figure who would one day reunite the power of the Ancestrals and become a vessel of their strength. It is said that this person would bear the blood of both brothers."**_

"How do you know this?"

_**"Each of us guards a location where the Prophecy was recorded. Mine was in my den, back in Konoha's forest. It was actually your Great-Great-Great Grandmother, Mito Uzumaki-Senju who first saw it."**_

"Really?"

_**"Yes. When her husband, Hashirama Senju first desired to build Konoha, they came to ask my permission. Mito later returned, and I grew to respect her enough that I revealed the Prophecy to her. I'm glad I did, for your sake especially."**_

"Why mine?"

_**"Because, hatchling, you are the child of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze. When they married they decided to combine their clan names, seeing as they were truly the last of their lines. You were born as Naruto Uzukaze, but yours is an ancient and complex lineage. You are from the Senju and Uzumaki clans on your mother's side, and the Namikaze clan on your father's. All three of them are descendants of Hagoromo Otsusuki. But you are also related to the Hiko clan through your father, they were one of two clans that descended from Hamura Otsusuki."**_

"I still don't get it."

_**"Think, child! You combine both of the ancient bloodlines. From birth you have shown unique qualities that resemble those of the ancestral brothers. You have physical strength beyond expected for your age, you have a uniquely keen mind and eye, you see the world around in ways no other human does, and you have a heart like Hagoromo's and a mind like Hamura's."**_ Naruto sat in silence for several minutes.

"That's why he attacked...isn't it?" The boy looked up at the dragon, his eyes shining with an almost fierce light. "That masked man attacked because of me, am I right?"

_**"I'm afraid so."**_

"Then why didn't you tell me before? Why did my parents lie to me? Why did they send me away saying I was just to guard the scroll?" The blond child's voice had risen to a fevered pitch and his tightly clenched fists were shaking.

_**"It was because of fear, Naruto. They feared for your life! That man made it very clear that he would stop at nothing to obtain both the Scroll of Secrets and you. He intends on using you to control and tame the other Ancestrals, you would be at his command, a life of endless slavery and servitude!" **_The eight year old's anger deflated at the dragon's stern words. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes and his bottom lip trembled.

"B-but why didn't Mom and Dad tell me the truth?"

_**"Naruto, as much as you try not to act like it at time, you are still just a child. They didn't want you to be living in fear. It's a parent's job to protect and comfort their child, no matter how difficult it is. They wanted to spare you from living through war and bloodshed."**_

"W-war?"

_**"Yes, hatchling. War. The masked man attacked the heir of three clans and the son of a village leader. Your father is an important man among the Hidden Villages. He is the one who brought about peace between the different nations. Hashirama Senju may have been the one to bring about the Hidden Villages, but it was Minato Namikaze who united them."**_ Naruto smiled.

"That's one of my favorite stories about him."

_**"Indeed, young one. But back to the point. Before your father, war was constant among for the Hidden Lands. Three had been started, fought, and won, claiming countless lives and destroying others. Now we are on the cusp of a fourth. Your parents are some of the leading warrior and will need to be prepared. Knowing you are hidden and safe will give them the peace of mind they need in order to do their job. They want to make everything safe again so that you can come home. Now, it's late and we must rest so that we can fly further towards the border tomorrow."**_

"Where are we going to stay?"

_**"I know of a place that can accommodate us both for the time being. Now, close your eyes and go to sleep."**_ No more words were spoken between the two as they lay underneath the twinkling stars, wondering just what life had in store for them in the coming days.

_End Flashback_

_**"Naruto,"**_ Kurama's voice interrupted the memory. _**"Let me speak to him."**_

"Wh-what?" the child stuttered out-loud in shock. The four vikings heard him and turned from their discussion.

_"Naruto?"_ the green-eyed man questioned.

"Go on, hatchling. I'll show you what to do." Naruto nodded mentally.

"Hiccup, sir," the boy hesitantly motioned for the leather-clad rider to come closer. Surprise flashed across his face, but Hiccup quickly moved to the edge of the little bed and sat beside its occupant.

_"Ja?"_ Naruto chewed his lip nervously as Kurama sent several images into his consciousness.

"Please," he whispered. "Don't be mad at me for this." He felt a sudden wave of warm tingling rush through his body and up into his eyes. Before the viking could blink the child had shot forward and placed two fingers at the center of his forehead and chest.

_**"Brace yourself, little one."** _Naruto barely registered the dragon's words before everything around him tumbled into darkness.

* * *

><p><strong> Translations:<strong>

**"Hicca-san, eh, gomen'nasai. K-karera wa watashi o kowagara seta." - "Hiccup, sir, uh, I'm sorry. Th-they scared me."**

**"Hicca-san, Vakka-san, to Goti-san?" - "Hiccup, Valka, and Gothi?"**

**"Doko no iedesu ka?" - "Where's my home?"**

**"Doko Konoha no? Konoha no sato?!" - "Where is Konoha? Konoha?!"**

**"Ā! Ā! Mappu!"- "Oh! Oh! A map!"**

**"Yatta!"- "Done!"**

**"Himitsu ryu no kuni, maihōmu. Soko, Konohadesu. Konoha." - "The Land of the Secret Dragon, my home. And there, is the leaf. Konoha."**

**"Sore wa sugu sokodesu!" - "It's right there!"**


	4. Chapter 4: Comprehension

_Disclaimer: All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Viz Media, Cressida Cowel, and DreamWorks Animation; cover art belongs to Cheif117John on deviantArt_

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><p><strong>AN:**

**Thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed my story! Feel free to send me any ideas, comments, or pieces of constructive criticism!**

* * *

><p><em>"Onegai, kono tame ni watashi ni okotte wa ikenai."<em> Hiccup barely heard the boy whisper the foreign words. Quick as a flash, the child's fingers touched his forehead and chest and a strange, tingling warmth radiated through him. The world faded to darkness an instant later, but not before he noticed the fact that the pupils of Naruto's cerulean eyes had changed into vertical slits.

The viking blinked several times, trying to adjust to the sudden inky blackness surrounding him. He scrabbled in the dark for a moment before his fingers wrapped around the hilt of his Dragon Blade, Inferno. Sighing in relief he quickly pressed the mechanism to release the sword, now freshly coated in Monstrous Nightmare saliva from the canister in the hilt, and triggered the lighter. Flames burst to life along its edge casting dancing shadows along the now-visible stone walls enclosing him.

Hiccup took stock of his situation as he glanced around. No longer was he in his own home sitting on the little wooden bed, he now lay on what looked to be the floor of a large cave. Ragged spikes of stone hung from the ceiling and protruded up through the floor, looking disturbingly like the teeth of some great monster. A low growl resonated through the cavern, a distinctly draconian sound that sent shivers up the viking's spine.

_**"Baikingu…"** _Hiccup looked around for any route of escape, seeing only a small crack in the wall to his left. He ran over and sized it up. The passageway would accommodate him, but only just. With some effort, the chieftain managed to push his way through the opening. The space around him opened up into a massive cavern, the light from his fire-sword barely making any difference in the overwhelming gloom.

**"Hiccup…"** The man froze as the terrifying voice emanated from straight in front of him. The chieftain swallowed hard, trying to push down the icy cold lump in his throat.

"Wh-wh-who a-are you?" There was no reply, but something moved within the darkness. There was the low sound of dragging, shuffling, and deep rumbling breaths. Suddenly, a shape began to come forward. Hiccup clenched his sword even tighter and waited to see just who had spoken to him. From out of the blackness, a head emerged, followed by two massive wings, an impossibly long body, and nine writhing tails. Hiccup's green eyes widened in astonishment.

"K-Kurama." The dragon snarled and rose to its full height before bearing down on the viking once more. Silence reigned for one, terrifying second, before the creature's lips moved.

**"Boo."**

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><p>Hiccup was sure he would forever deny this, but at that moment a small noise escaped his mouth, something between a squeak and a squeal. The flame-colored dragon threw back his head and roared in what sounded like laughter. Hiccup stood there, his mind no longer working properly, and simply stared. Finally, he found his voice.<p>

"Y-y-you...y-you can...you can speak! By the gods, you speak! This changes everything! Oh, I have got to tell Astrid this! And the other riders! Oh, man, I've got to-"

**"Pathetic human, cease your worthless prattling."** But Hiccup didn't seem to hear him. He continued to pace, muttering ideas, and gesturing with his hands. Kurama blinked.

**"Are you...ignoring me?"**

"Hmm? What'd you say?" One scaley eyebrow rose. "Wait...I'm talking to a dragon...I am actually having a conversation with a dragon. Oh, this is amazing!"

**"A rather one sided conversation…"** Kurama muttered in a bored tone. Hiccup suddenly paused, realizing what he had been doing.

"Oh...er, sorry about that." In reply, the dragon huffed in the vikings face. He coughed. "Oh, joy...dragon breath." He gazed up at the flame-colored creature towering above him. "So...do you mind explaining all...this, to me?" Hiccup gestured at the area around them.

**"Hmm? Did you say something?"**

"...I probably I deserved that." The great dragon snorted.

**"Probably. Now as for your question...I think there's someone else who should answer that."** Kurama turned his blood-red eyes to the right, and Hiccup's followed suite. He shook his head slightly in astonishment as he watched the crevice he'd come through open and enlarge.

"Why couldn't it have done that for me?"

**"Because it was more fun to watch you struggle."**

"You have a very strange sense of humor…"

**"And I suppose you're an expert on that."**

"Well…"

**"Hmph. Thought so. Now be silent, he's almost here."** Hiccup was about to ask who the dragon spoke of, but thought better of it. He'd aggravated the creature enough already. The cavern was quiet save for the sound of their breaths, before the slight pitter-patter of small feet on stone became audible. A moment later, a streak of golden-yellow came rushing through the entry. The chieftain felt his mouth fall open.

"Naruto?" The cerulean-eyed child smiled brightly at him as he ran over.

"Hello, Mr. Hiccup."

"Wh-what are you doing here? Where are we-wait...did you just speak in-"

**"You can understand each other's language here."** Kurama interrupted. Naruto nodded in eager agreement.

"Yup! Cool huh?" Hiccup couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the child's enthusiasm.

"Yeah, I'd say that about sums it up. Sort of…" The blue-eyed boy's smile wavered slightly.

"I-I'm sure you have a lot of questions...I'll…I'll try to answer them as best I can, okay? Just don't ask anything too hard."

"Alright...well, first off, where are we?"

"Oh, that's easy. We're in my mindscape!" Hiccup could only blink in confusion. Seeing this, Kurama sighed.

**"Never ask an eight year old to explain the laws of the supernatural. Hiccup, yes, technically we are in the halls of Naruto's mind, or, his mindscape as he wishes to call it."**

"Okay…"

"Um...Mr. Hiccup?"

"Oh, er, just Hiccup is fine.

"Well, Hiccup, I don't really know a lot about the kind of dragons you have here, but you've probably realized that Kurama isn't really an ordinary one."

"Yeah, I picked up on that."

"That's because he's an Ancestral!" Naruto seemed satisfied with his explanation. The chieftain looked to Kurama in bewilderment.

**"To put it simply, I am one of the _Senzo_ _Ryu_, or in your native tongue, the Ancestral Dragons. All dragons in existence nowadays are descendents of myself or one of my siblings. There are nine _Senzo_, each with a different number of tails. I am the ninth and eldest. We are the children of the _Juubi_, the Ten-Tails."**

"Th-the ancestors of a-all dragons? B-but how is that-

**"I am an ancient being, _Baikingu_."** the dragon interrupted. "I am not held to the same laws of nature that your kind are. Humans have only begun to learn the truth of the world they live in."

"The truth?" Kurama nodded.

**"_Hai_. There are powers beyond your comprehension. Call them what you may, gods, demons, spirits, in the end it is all the same. An energy flows through the world. The air, the ground, the water, all are made of it. It is the very essence of life. It is what causes the storm clouds to gather, the tides to come in, even the very beating of your heart relies on its call. It is everything and nothing, it is unchanging yet ever remains the same."**

Hiccup stood there, gaping, his mind furiously trying to process all he'd heard. It was too much. This overturned everything he thought he knew. His thoughts were interrupted by Kurama growling deeply in his throat.

**"We don't have time for this. I can only hold the connection for so long. I brought you here in order to explain the situation we are in to you. Naruto needs protection. His homeland is now locked in war, and I was given the charge of keeping him safe."** Hiccup's eyes widened at this.

"Homeland? War?"

**_"Hai._ We are, as you have likely already guessed, from the _Tōkai Azuma_, the Hidden East. It is the birthplace of dragons and of Naruto's people. They rarely wander into the Outside World, but this was an exception. I intended to bring him to a sanctuary I knew of. One of my brother's descendants presides there, although it has been nearly twenty years since I last saw him. However, before we reached it we were ambushed by the man you call, Drago."** Hiccup furrowed his brows in confusion He had been puzzling over how impossible it seemed for any man to capture and imprison a creature such as Kurama.

"What happened?" Naruto's sniffle caught his attention. The boy had been silent during the exchange, content to simply sit playing with one of the dragon's tails. But now he had his golden head bowed and his shoulders slumped.

"It was my fault," he almost tearfully muttered.

**"Naruto…"**

"It's true, Kurama!" The child turned to Hiccup. "Kurama had been flying so much so we stopped for a break. He told me to stay put, but...but I didn't listen. I wandered off, we were near these huge things of ice and I really wanted to see them! I-I got lost and...and I started calling out for Kurama. B-but instead of him finding me th-there were these men. I-I couldn't understand what they said...they g-gr-grabbed me and tied me up! I tried really, really hard to stop them! But I-I-I couldn't!" Hiccup didn't hesitate in wrapping his arms around the now weeping child as he continued to stutter out the tale.

"Th-they s-seemed really mad that I wouldn't stop crying, I can remember them hitting me on the head with something, but that's it. Next time I w-woke up th-there was this big man standing in front of m-me. H-he-he g-g-grabbed me an-and yelled! I w-w-was s-so scared! Th-that's when I h-heard Kurama roaring outside...wherever I was. And th-then...then h-he…"

**"Hatchling, that's enough,"** the great dragon spoke in a voice more tender than Hiccup had heard from him before. He turned his red eyes to the viking chieftain.

**"Drago saw the connection between Naruto and I, and threatened him in order to get me to back down. Before I knew it, they had trapped me in their hideout. Many times Drago attempted to subdue me, but his alpha could not hold sway over a mind such as mine. I could have escaped at any point in time, but to do so would require me destroying most of the structure. I could not risk any harm to Naruto, so I was forced to wait. Drago figured out that the boy was my rider, due to the saddle we had been using, among other things. His attempts to convince Naruto to teach him how it was done were useless, he couldn't understand the language and I wasn't around to translate for him. We could only speak through our minds when no one else was around. Eventually, Drago seemed to give up on this and simply kept us locked up."** Hiccup looked down at the now calmer child in his arms.

"How long?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer.

**"We were there for nearly a year. For a time, everything was quiet. My size was a disadvantage for any method of escape. Should I burn or destroy the hideout, Naruto's life would be in great danger. But his own tries were easily thwarted by the guards who were posted there until just over three days ago."**

"That is when Drago attacked Berk."

**"I wondered what had occurred. The madman showed up at the outpost, gathered his men, tried one last time to get information from Naruto, and then left. I had been slowly destroying the cage by the time you arrived. I do not know what the metal was made of, but it was incredibly difficult to remove."**

"I suspect it was a form of Dragon Iron. I'm not surprised you struggled to escape." He continued to absentmindedly run his fingers through the boy's sunshine colored locks. Naruto didn't seem to mind though. The blue-eyed boy was exhausted after his emotional outburst was quite content to remain cuddled into Hiccup's side. The chieftain made his decision. He turned and locked gazes with the Ancestral.

"What do you need me to do?" Kurama's lips pulled back, revealing curved, razor-sharp teeth in what the viking hoped was a smile.

**"First, there is something we must retrieve from Drago's hideout."**

* * *

><p>The sight of the boy's slit pupils stole the breath from Astrid's lungs and caused her heart to skip several beats. The room felt heavy and an electric tingling skittered up her arms and across the back of her neck.<p>

"Hiccup!" the cry flew from Valka's lips as all three women rushed to the bed. Panic gripped them as both of its occupants slumped over, unconscious.

"What's going on?" Astrid yelled, continuing to frantically shake the young chief's shoulder.

"I-I don't know," Valka stammered. "The boy...he changed. His eyes were like...a dragon's"

"But how? How is that possible?" The two women were interrupted by Gothi banging her staff down hard on the wooden floor, the sharp sound ringing through the hut. The elderly healer. sketched out several archaic characters on the piece of parchment Naruto had been drawing on previously.

"What...what is she saying?" Valka whispered. Astrid squinted at the paper for a moment, before replying.

"I...I think that's the rune for 'mind' and those figures mean-" The blond viking looked up sharply at the elder. "M-magic?" Gothi gave a single nod. Their mouths fell open in shock, and they glanced back and forth in between her and the frail child.

"You mean he has...magic? Naruto?"

"Amazing...but are-are you sure they're okay?" Gothi shrugged and scribbled out two more pictures.

"Wait and see? Really? But we need to do something!" Valka hesitantly placed a hand on the distraught woman's shoulders.

"We...we should trust Gothi. Come, let's make them more comfortable." The three of them gingerly returned Naruto to the pillow he had slid from and laid Hiccup beside him. Then began the agonizing wait. What seemed like hours was in reality only a few moments before both boy and man stirred. The women held their breath, watching anxiously as cerulean-blue and forest-green eyes fluttered open.

"Hiccup?" Astrid whispered. A terrible weight fell from her shoulders and heart as he gave her a gentle, lop-sided grin. He turned to the child laying beside him. Naruto seemed to have become more withdrawn in the tense atmosphere he had awakened to. Hiccup took a small hand into his own larger ones. No words were said, but they seemed to come to some agreement as the blond-haired child smiled shyly up at the adults.

"H-hello." They blinked.

"Did he just…" Astrid trailed off, unable to finish her question.

"Yeah, I have a feeling that with a little patience and work, he'll get the hang of our language."

"But, son, what happened to ya?" Hiccup groaned.

"That's...a really long story." The viking maiden crossed her arms and gave him an intense look.

"We have time." Hiccup chuckled nervously at that.

"R-right. Well, to start I-" A piercing shriek cut him off. The five of them only had time to turn towards the door before it burst open, the heavy piece of wood coming completely off its hinges. A mass of black scales and brown leather rushed into the room before pouncing on the bed.

"T-tooth! Toothless!" The Night Fury was nuzzling him furiously, sniffing the chieftain from head to foot in worry. Then, to their surprise, he began to nose at Naruto as well. The child showed no fear at the sudden contact, instead it seemed an immense comfort to him. The adults could only watch in shock as the giggling boy was licked again and again by the reptile. Hiccup abruptly began chuckling, gaining confused looks from the three women.

"I'm sorry, it's just after speaking with Kurama, I'm beginning to wonder how Toothless' might sound."

"Wait...Kurama? As in Naruto's dragon? And what do you mean you 'spoke' with him?" Hiccup ran a hand through his hair and shrugged.

"I really don't know how else to describe it. As crazy as it sounds, I spoke to Kurama just now. Face to face, actually." The viking chieftain cringed slightly at the looks his mother and girlfriend were giving him. Astrid sat down next to him and placed a hand rather firmly onto his arm.

"Talk." Her tone brooked no argument. The blond viking's eyebrow rose as Hiccup turned to gaze at Naruto, as if asking permission. The child gave a shy nod and the young man smiled in return before beginning his explanation.

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><p>Naruto knew what Hiccup was telling the three strangely dressed women. It had been obvious that the man wanted to share what had happened in the mindscape, but the child couldn't suppress the warmth that had risen within him when he realized that Hiccup cared about his opinion on the matter. Naruto trusted the foreign man, completely. Part of it was the fact that he was still a child, and tended to still trust implicitly at times. But he had been raised with the mindset of a warrior and had been through too much to ever be so carefree again. However, Hiccup had faced Kurama, and the fact that the man wasn't either dead or rambling like a madman meant that he had passed the unspoken test.<p>

The blue-eyed boy continued to stroke the black dragon's head which lay in his lap, running his fingers over the iridescent scales absent-mindedly. He listened to the adults as they spoke in their own language, the words seemed to roll and twist but Naruto realized that he began to recognized repeated sounds. Specific words stood out to him, yet he couldn't define their meaning just yet. An idea suddenly came into his head.

"Hiccup?" The adults paused, looking at him in surprise. He flushed slightly at the attention, feeling embarrassed. Naruto pointed at each of them, speaking to each in turn.

"Hiccup, Astrid, Valka, Gothi, Toothless?" He knew his pronunciation was likely terrible, but the names felt foreign on his tongue. Hiccup didn't seem to mind.

_"Ja?"_ the man replied. The child pointed to himself.

"Naruto."

_"Nar..to?"_

"Na-ru-to."

_"Na...ru...to."_ A grin came to the boy's face. It was slow progress, but progress nonetheless. Now for something harder. Naruto patted his hand on the lumpy mattress he lay on.

"Bed." He nearly groaned in frustration at the clueless look on Hiccup's face. He gestured again and repeated the single word.

"Bed." The viking seemed to hesitate for a moment, before pointing also.

_"Seng?"_ Naruto wrinkled his nose and attempted the sound.

"Sssseeeeng. Seng?" Their eyebrows rose and an excited gleam appeared in the man;s eyes. Naruto could only hope they had caught onto what he was trying to accomplish. He held up the corner of the woolen blanket covering him.

"Blanket." This time Hiccup didn't hesitate.

_"Teppe."_

"Tep-puh?" The four vikings beamed at him. This time it was Astrid who spoke, she walked over to them and handed Naruto a small goblet of water.

"Drikke," she spoke, miming taking a drink from the cup. The blond-haired child took a sip and repeated the word.

_"Drikke?"_

_"Ja!"_ At this success, Naruto decided to try something more difficult. He pointed towards Toothless.

"Dragon," he carefully enunciated. Hiccup shook his head in confusion.

_"Huh? Nei, Tannløs."_

"Toothless," the boy tried again. "Dragon."

_"Tannløs...Drage?"_

"Drage?" The man nodded and smiled. Naruto took a deep breath, knowing what he had to do next, and shakily pointed to the his bandaged wrist then looked directly into forest-green eyes.

"Drago."

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><p><strong>Translations:<strong>

**"Onegai, kono tame ni watashi ni okotte wa ikenai." - "Please, don't be mad at me for this."**

**"Baikingu." - "Viking."**

**"Hai." - "Yes."**

**"Senzo Ryu." - "Ancestral Dragons."**

**"**Tōkai Azuma." - "Hidden East."****

**"Juubi." - "Ten-Tails."**

**"Ja?" - "Yes?"**

**"Seng." - "Bed."**

**"Teppe." - "Blanket."**

**"Drikke." - "Drink."**

**"Huh? Nei, Tannløs." - "Huh? No, Toothless."**

**"Tannløs...Drage?" - "Toothless...Dragon?**


	5. Chapter 5: Lullaby

_Disclaimer: All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Viz Media, Cressida Cowel, and DreamWorks Animation; cover art belongs to Cheif117John on deviantArt_

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><p><strong>AN: **

**Thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed my story! **Feel free to send me any ideas, comments, or pieces of constructive criticism!****

* * *

><p>Hiccup couldn't stop the gasp that escaped him. The boy before him had uttered the word with such solemnity, he couldn't help but recall the child's appearance when they had first met. The chieftain gently touched the tiny wrist with one hand and the fabric wrapped around the boy's head with the other.<p>

"Drago." He reiterated, watching as a weight seemed to slip from those small shoulders. The golden-haired child leaned into his touch with a deep sigh. Naruto stilled for a moment, before looking back up at Hiccup. Tiredly, the boy picked up the parchment he had previously been drawing on. The adults watched, curious, as he rolled it lengthwise. He held it up to Hiccup.

_"Sukurōru,"_ he whispered. The chieftain recalled what Kurama had mentioned to him during his time in the mindscape.

"Scroll...Kurama?" The child nodded, yawning.

_"Drago...Kurama...sukurōru…"_ The vikings watched as cerulean-blue eyes began to drift shut. Hiccup carefully laid the boy back down onto the bed, pulling the woolen blanket up around his small frame.

_"Hai,"_ he murmured in the child's own tongue, causing a smile to grace the scarred face before it slackened in deep slumber.

"Poor thing…" Valka tutted softly. "Wore himself right out."

"Yeah, but rest is what his body needs. Right, Gothi?" The elderly healer nodded to her chieftain, gesturing the three of them towards the door.

"Your right, Astrid, Mom, Toothless, come on. We need to go."

"What are you planning, Hiccup. And what was with that weird paper thing?"

"Just another job for the dragon riders. Now, we'd better get going before we accidentally wake him up." Valka chuckled.

"Oh, I doubt there's much that would awaken the poor lad, he's sound asleep sure enough." Hiccup smiled as he closed the door once Toothless' tailfin was through. Hearing footsteps, they turned to see Gobber and Eret climbing up the rocky hill.

"Ey, Chief!" the former dragon trapper called out. "Ya wouldn't believe what just 'appened!"

"Let me guess, Kurama did something strange and Toothless freaked out and ran off." The mouths of the two men fell open in surprise.

"Ow did ye-"

"Wasn't that hard to figure out judging from what just happened in there. But I'm glad you're here, I need your help."

"With what, chief?" Hiccup held out the rolled parchment Naruto had given him.

"I need you, along with the other dragon riders to go back to the hideout we found. Look for an object that's like this, only a lot bigger."

"What does that have to do with anything, Hiccup?"

"It's really important, Astrid. Its called a scroll, Naruto's people uses them to keep records, just like we have book."

"How do ye know that, laddie?"

"It's a long story, Gobber. Too long for right now." The chieftain noticed the puzzled look on Eret's face. "What is it?"

"I'm just wonderin' why you need me to go?"

"Well, you knew Drago better than we did. If anyone can figure out where he would keep something like that, it's you." Eret grimaced at the reminder of his less than stellar past.

"Right, we'll get on it."

"Thanks you guys. And as for you, m'lady." Astrid noticed the slight gleam in Hiccup's eyes and couldn't help but grin. "Someone's going to need to keep them in line…"

"You got it, babe." The blonde-haired viking gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving with the others. Toothless crooned softly at his rider, nosing his hand.

"Alright, bud. Let's go." It was the work of only a moment for Hiccup to settle himself in the saddle and they took off into the skies above Berk. In a few minutes they reached the area where Kurama was staying. The enormous dragon lay curled up in the empty field, his body coiled several times over. Hiccup momentarily marveled at the sight, amazed at the fact that such a large animal could fit on the island at all. He guessed that it was due to the creature's flexible length, unlike either of the Bewilderbeast's which had been there only days before. The dragon opened one blood-red eye as they landed, watching them carefully. Hiccup gulped audibly, the knowledge of Kurama's intelligence now seemed slightly disturbing in light of the situation. The viking had faced many species of dragon's in the past, but this was on an entirely different level.

_**"Is there something you wish to discuss, human? Or must I tolerate your gaze all day?"**_ Hiccup started as the deep rumbling echoed through his mind, beside him, Toothless grunted. The chieftain couldn't tell who the Night Fury was more annoyed with, his rider or the foreigner.

"Uh, w-well I, um...sorry." The black dragon rolled his luminescent eyes at the man's faltering words, flicking an ear into his face.

"Ouch! Toothless?" He was about to continue when Kurama lifted his great, flame-colored head.

_**"Hmph, insolent pups,"** _he drawled. **_"If you're done with disciplining your nestmate, Night Stalker, perhaps we can get down to business."_** Toothless bowed his head and crooned in reply, gently nudging Hiccup forward.

"Er, right. Um, the other dragon riders have headed back to, uh, the hideout to get the scroll. B-but I was wondering if I could, uh, ask a couple of questions."

_**"Very well. What is it you wish to know?"**_ Hiccup shifted his prosthetic slightly in nervousness.

"Well, you mentioned back in the, um, mindscape that you were going to take Naruto to a sanctuary you knew of."

**_"Hai, one of my nestmate's descendants built a nest that I learned of during my travels long before Naruto's birth. I intended to guard him there, for a human like yourself dwelt in the ice caves as well, and I hoped for her assistance in raising him. I am, after all, a dragon and I knew some of his needs would be beyond my comprehension."_** Hiccup only partially heard the last few words. He had frozen upon hearing Kurama speak of a human dwelling amidst dragons in a nest made of ice.

"Wh-when was this p-place built, exactly?" he stuttered. The Ancestral paused for a moment, thinking.

_**"Nearly twenty years ago, as far as I can recall. The Ice Breather is from my brother, Isobu's, lineage. He is an alpha, much like the Night Walker, and-"**_ Kurama ceased speaking as Hiccup's legs gave out from beneath him. Toothless quickly intervened, using his head to support the one-legged man. His mind was spinning, connecting the dots between what the dragon was saying and what his mother had told him. The alpha Bewilderbeast, the Dragon Sanctuary, it all tied together. Hiccup knew he had to explain to Kurama, but he simply couldn't speak, still too stunned by the recent revelation to find his voice. Toothless, seeming to sense his rider's needs, warbled to the Ancestral in a respectful tone. This went on for a few minutes before Kurama grunted and sat further upright.

_**"I see...the Ice Breather was killed by a rival alpha, who was then challenged and defeated by you? And now the dragon's reside here?"**_ The Night Fury nodded and crooned his reply.

_**"Very well. I can sense that, despite its state, this island would be a safe haven for Naruto. If he wishes to we will remain here or close by. Is that acceptable, alpha?"**_ Toothless bowed his head again and turned to Hiccup, who had finally regained his thoughts.

"So...Naruto...might stay?" He didn't know why it felt so important to him, but for some reason the viking never wanted the blond-haired, blue-eyed little boy to leave the village.

_**"If he so chooses, yes."**_

* * *

><p>Back in Hiccup's home, Naruto remained fast asleep. Valka sat in a small chair nearby, carefully mending one of the many tears in her battle cloak from the attack nearly four days ago. She kept sneaking glances at the child as she worked, her mind recalling events from both the far past and just earlier that day. Her son had mentioned the great dragon, Kurama, that had come with them from Drago's abandoned hideaway. The details tickled at the far reaches of her mind, and for some inexplicable reason, Valka felt sure she had seen such a creature before, many years ago.<p>

The dragon rider wondered if it could possibly be the same one that had visited the Dragon Sanctuary shortly after its creation. She had not been allowed in the main chamber that day, and had only caught a glimpse of multiple flame-colored tails. But it had piqued her interest and begun her endeavor to learn all she could about each species of dragon. As the years passed, she had forgotten some of the details, sure that her imagination had played some part in the memory. But now, after hearing her son's description of the animal, she wasn't so sure.

_"Mama."_ The tiny whimper was barely audible, but it made Valka's maternal instincts rear up like a flame. She abandoned her needle work and darted to the little bed. Naruto continued to make small sounds of distress, his face scrunched up and limbs twitching. Valka noticed the beads of sweat gathering along his forehead as the boy's movements became stronger and more violent. She placed a cool cloth on his brow and tried to help him, hesitant to hold the child due to his many injuries. But the fit only escalated.

Valka wrung her hands together, she had tended countless dragons, healed a variety of injuries, and had softened even the most violent of them. But when it came to her own kind, she felt useless. Gothi had since returned to her own home, Astrid was away with the other riders, and Hiccup was off doing who knows what. As sobs escaped Naruto's shaking lips, Valka threw caution to the wind. Scooping the frail boy off the bed and into her lap, she held and rocked him, mindful of the bandages swathing his tiny form. Constricted by her arms, his limbs briefly became more forceful in their movements. He let out pained cries at the pressure on his wounds, but still remained locked in sleep and whatever nightmare he was trapped within. A tear ran down Valka's cheek as she battled her own emotions.

"Gods help me," she whispered, frantically trying to think of a way to calm the child. She called upon every memory she could think of from her brief time in raising Hiccup as an infant. One stood out to her, a night with a terrible storm that had woken her son with its terrible thunder. Nothing seemed to calm him except the voice of his mother and one particular song. Unable to see any other options, Valka tightened her hold on Naruto and began to sing.

"Little child, be not afraid.

The rain pounds harsh against the glass,

Like an unwanted stranger,

There is no danger,

I am here tonight."

After the first few lines, the blond-haired boy had lessened his movement slightly, his body listening subconsciously. Valka continued, her voice filled with emotion as she relived those few precious moments with her son.

"Little child, be not afraid.

Though thunder explodes,

And lightning flash,

Illuminates your tear-stained face.

I am here tonight."

"And someday you'll know,

That nature is so.

This same rain that draws you near me,

Falls on rivers and land,

And forests and sand,

Makes the beautiful world that you see,

In the morning."

Naruto's tears had stopped, and his sobs had finally quieted. But he continued to shake as Valka forged on with the lullaby.

"Little child, be not afraid.

The storm clouds mask your beloved moon,

And its candlelight beams,

Still keep pleasant dreams.

I am here tonight."

"Little child, be not afraid.

The wind makes creatures of our trees,

And the branches to hands,

They're not real, understand,

And I am here tonight."

"And someday you'll know,

That nature is so.

This same rain that draws you near me,

Falls on rivers and land,

And forest and sand,

Makes the beautiful world that you see,

In the morning."

Valka paused, carefully watching the boy's face. His shaking had ceased but his brow remained furrowed in distress. The viking lowered her voice to a near whisper, cradling the child as tenderly as she could.

"For you know, once even I,

Was a little child,

And I was afraid,

But a gentle someone always came,

To dry all my tears,

Trade sweet sleep the fears,

And to give a kiss goodnight."

She pressed her lips to Naruto's forehead, noting the lack of the feverish heat from before, and continued.

"Well, now I am grown,

And these years have shown,

Rain's a part of how life goes.

But it's dark and it's late,

So I'll hold you and wait,

'til your frightened eyes do close."

"And I hope that you'll know,

That nature is so.

This same rain that draws you near me,

Falls on rivers and land,

And forests and sand,

Makes the beautiful world that you see,

In the morning."

She noticed the stillness of the boy in her arms. Whatever torment he had been enduring seemed to have stopped, leaving him to slip back into a peaceful sleep. A smile came to Valka's face as she sung the last three lines.

"Everything's fine in the morning.

The rain will be gone in the morning.

But I'll still be here in the morning."

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><p>Kurama suddenly growled low in his throat, his ears erect and pupils narrowed. Hiccup was startled from his thoughts by the sound.<p>

"What is it?" The large dragon abruptly turned to him and raised a mammoth claw.

_**"Hold still,"**_ he ordered, placing one sharp tip against the viking's chest and another in the center of his forehead. The memory of Naruto doing the same calmed Hiccup, and he prepared himself for what was about to happen. He patted Toothless gently.

"I'll be back soon, bud." Then reality melted away and Hiccup opened his eyes to see himself once again in the large cavern at Kurama's feet. The dragon snorted, his hot breath ghosting through the cool air.

**"There is something I need to show you, _Baikingu_."** Smoke curled from his nostrils, gathering together on the floor in a large circle. Colors seeped into the billowing grey, forming abstract shapes that slowly came into focus. Hiccup blinked in surprise at the image presented to him. It was Naruto, but not like he'd ever seen him before. This Naruto was healthy and happy, laughing in delight at something whilst be held in the arms of a man and a woman. The viking immediately knew that these were the boy's parents. The man shared the same spiky blond hair and piercing blue eyes as his son, but Naruto's face and eye shape were definitely inherited from the red-headed woman.

"These are his parents." It wasn't a question. Kurama nodded.

**"_Hai_, Minato and Kushina Uzukaze. They were rare among humans, both pure of spirit with strong hearts and minds. Among the few of your species that held my respect."** Hiccup froze as the dragon's words registered in his mind.

"Were?" The enormous reptile sighed heavily and Hiccup noted just how old and tired he looked in that brief moment.

**"Naruto does not yet know this, but they both perished shortly after we left the East. They died at the hand of a madman, sacrificing themselves to save their people and prevent him from following us. Even as we speak, the hatchling is having a nightmare about the last time he saw them."** Hiccup turned sharply towards him as he said this.

"Then I need to go back, right now." Kurama shook his head.

**"Your mother seems to have the situation handled. I can hear her singing to him and the hatchling seems to have calmed a little."** That surprised Hiccup. Yet he was glad that, despite twenty years without hardly any human contact, her motherly instincts remained intact. The chieftain had a sudden thought run through his mind. He knew it would likely be difficult, but he felt it the right decision.

"Show me."

**"Hm?"**

"Please, show me what he is seeing. Show me what he is going through." Kurama regarded me carefully.

**"Why do you wish this?"** Hiccup summoned up all his courage and looked the fearsome creature straight in the eye.

"Because unless I know what he is has suffered, I'll never know how to help him recover." They held each others gaze for several moments, neither wavering. The viking felt as though his very soul was being weighed by those blood-red orbs. Finally, the dragon seemed satisfied with whatever he had found and nodded.

**"Very well. Brace yourself, human.**

* * *

><p><strong>The song is "Lullaby For a Stormy Night" by Vienna Teng. I wasn't planning on putting it in, but the scene had a mind of its own, so there you go. I'm amazed at how it came together, the lyrics were perfect and really seemed like something Valka would sing to her infant son. Go check it out on Youtube, it's amazing.<strong>

**Translations:**

**"Sukurōru." - "Scroll."**

**"Mama." - "Mommy."**

**"Hai." - "Yes."**

**"Baikingu." - "Viking**


	6. Chapter 6: The Nightmare

_Disclaimer: All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Viz Media, Cressida Cowel, and DreamWorks Animation; cover art belongs to Cheif117John on deviantArt_

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><p><strong>AN:**

**Wow, I can't even begin to express how grateful I am for all of you. I truly appreciate all of the time and effort you have spent to help me with this story. I want it to succeed, and I want it to be something that my readers enjoy fully. The feedback I have received has made all the difference for me during the writing process. Thank you.**

**Quick Update:**

**Poll results: Looks like Naruto's main roles will be as a dragon translator and trainer, but there will be 'sage' elements in here as well.**

**In this chapter I'll reveal the dragon I've created as the antagonist who attacked Konoha and who its rider is. Thank you to D N Walker, Apedreitor, JRecon, 1v2, mylife00, yukicrewger2, False sense of insanity, Alarose, and jmorris1501 for their incredible help! I'm happy with how my creation turned out, and I hope you will be too. I knew I needed to get this right on the first shot. Naruto's people aren't afraid of dragons, after all, the respect and revere them. This creature needed to be horrific enough that the first glance strikes fear into their hearts.  
><strong>

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><p>Hiccup felt as though he were floating in midair. Unlike when he rode atop Toothless, where he would continually feel the Earth Mother, Jörð, continually pulling at him to return to land. The chieftain could feel nothing, see nothing, smell and hear nothing. For a moment, Hiccup wondered if he had been sent to Helheim. But a voice, overwhelming yet soothing at the same time, calmed him, triggering a flood of memories to return.<p>

"Calm yourself, this is a Memori no shichō, a memory viewing. You asked to see what was contained in Naruto's nightmare, so I performed a technique that would allow just that. Although, the images will technically be from an outside perspective, because you need to know the complete story. But be warned, now that the spell has taken effect, there will be no turning back. You must see this through to the end." Unable to force his voice to comply, Hiccup could only nod his understanding.

"Good," the unseen being growled out. "Now, Hajime!" Hiccup felt himself blink as color suddenly swirled into existence before his eyes, forming strange shapes and patterns. The image slowly cleared to show what seemed to be a village, unlike any he'd ever seen before. It was surrounded by a high wall except one side which consisted of a cliff side. Into the rock were carved several stone faces, whose features Hiccup could not fully decipher from his current position high above.

Beyond the wall lay a vast, green forest which stretched on for miles, stunning Hiccup with its immensity. He turned his attention back to the village, noting the strange architecture of the buildings within. Unlike those of Berk the structures seemed to have multiple levels and were constructed not only out of wood, but metal as well. Hiccup briefly wondered if they knew about Thor's tendencies when it came to that particular material.

The variety of colors dazzled the viking chieftain, who'd only ever lived surrounded by duller, earthen tones and hues. But here, red's, blue's, yellow's, and even orange's, dotted the landscape. Some in the form of walls and rooftops, other times seen as signs covered with foreign symbols, one repeated more than any other which Hiccup noted looked rather like a leaf with a swirl at its center.

An evening sun was casting its golden rays over the peaceful village, giving everything a dreamlike quality. As the vision zoomed into focus, Hiccup saw families strolling down the well-packed earthen paths. Children darted about in innocent play, and merchants hawked their wares. Men and women wearing matching clothing and an assortment of strange looking knives and swords, leapt from rooftop to rooftop in a startling display. As the sky darkened further, the villagers began lighting what looked like decorated, paper lanterns, strung along like dozens of pale, twinkling stars.

Sounds and smells began to filter into Hiccups senses. Children giggling, women chatting and men laughing loudly filled the air with a sense of joy and happiness. Exotic scents filled his nose, spices and foods that he had never before even dreamed of and hundreds of sweet aromas that drifted from arrangements of flowers both worn and held. Games seemed to be the order of the evening for some as they gathered around various stalls, competing with each other in good humor.

Hiccup watched everything eagerly, the scene before him so different and yet so similar to what he had seen many times back on Berk. The food and drink may have been different, but the hungry mouths and satisfied stomachs were the same. The games and decorations may have been foreign, but the joyous laughter and camaraderie were easily recognizable. The children may be running about gabbling about things he'd couldn't comprehend, but there was no denying that familiar spark of life in their wide, lively eyes.

Just as the sun was about to set, the villagers began congregating around one particular building. It rose up higher than the others surrounding it, and stood out with its vibrant red coloring. As he drew closer, Hiccup realized that a small group of people stood atop the structure on a large platform. He gasped upon seeing just who it was. A man and woman stood at the front, spiky blond hair and long red locks so instantly recognizable to Hiccup. He quickly looked at the child standing between them, already knowing exactly who he would see.

The little boy had a firm grasp on either of his parent's hands, looking out at the crowd in an awed yet nervous fashion. The unique lines on each cheek twitched as he chewed his bottom lip in an adorable fashion. Hiccup couldn't help but smile widely at the sight of Naruto standing there with his parents. He turned his focus to the man as he stepped forward, briefly recalling the name Kurama had told him. Minato Namikaze gazed down at the crowd below him, who seemed eager to hear him speak. Hiccup realized that the man must be something akin to a chief for this village as he noted the respect bordering upon adoration that the villagers held for him.

Minato began to speak, and Hiccup was surprised to realize that he could understand each word clearly. Likely due to Kurama's technique. He found himself soaking in the man's authoritative yet warm voice, which while not being identical, held many of the same qualities as his own father's.

"Citizens of Konoha," Minato began. "Today we celebrate the anniversary of peace being brought to our lands after the Great War. We celebrate those who gave their lives in honor so that we might be here today. We celebrate the great heroes of our generation and of those past. We give remembrance to all the sacrifices made so that this gathering could be possible. I ask of you all to keep within your hearts a prayer for those whom this day is bittersweet. Remember the veterans, our brave soldiers who fought so valiantly. Remember the widow's and widower's who lost those who were their other half. Remember the orphan's, forced to grow up ahead of their time due to their parent's sacrifice on the battlefield. Recall who we were before that day ten years ago. Recall the bloodshed, tears, and bitter hearts. Recall the merciless actions between our rivalling villages and countries." Hiccup could see the many tears being shed at the man's resounding words. Unbidden memories came to his own mind, and he smiled at the thought of his own people. Their struggles, their hardships, and their sacrifices.

"Never forget those whose actions brought about this final peace. Never forget the words that ended the terrible bloodshed. Never forget the relief you felt when the war was, at long last, declared over. This is a time to honor and pay homage to the past, but also to rejoice in the present. We celebrate all those who are with us here today. We celebrate the countless lives that were saved by the heroic actions of others. We celebrate the families that have come together, the children born into this new life, the love that continues to bloom under the ever watchful eyes of our former leaders, whose faces are forever carved into the mountain behind me." Now the chieftain understood what he had noticed before. Just as his own people paid homage to past chieftains through songs and painted shields, this village had a way, too, of keeping them in their hearts.

"As I stand before you, I am eternally grateful for all that you have given me. You supported me during the war, as a soldier. You have guided me throughout the years, as your leader. And you have made it possible for me to stand here before you as a truly blessed man, as a husband to the woman I love most, and as a father to my son who was born on this day seven years ago." Hiccup chuckled at the blush that came to Naruto's face as he shyly hid behind his mother.

"From the bottom of my heart I thank you. May the god's bless us this night, and keep us safe through this coming year. Thank you." A moment of silence followed his last words, before resounding cheers rang through the air as people clapped and shouted. Hiccup couldn't help but wish to join them, while at the same time sorrowing at the knowledge that he would never be able to meet this incredible man. Turning from the jubilant crowd, he watched as the Uzukaze family descended from the high platform.

He could clearly see Naruto's embarrassed flush as he tugged at his father's long, white cloak and the mischievous smile on his mother's face. They exchanged words, but Hiccup was unable to hear them. The gathered villagers had dispersed to continue their activities, and the family of three had been quick to disappear into the large, red building. The viking tried to follow them, but found himself instead moving back towards where the viewing had first begun.

Time passed fluidly for Hiccup as he continued to watch the festivities continue in peaceful happiness. Everything seemed perfect in the lantern lit village. He should have known better than to think it would remain that way. Hiccup couldn't quite grasp when it began, but a feeling of unease settled over him, and apparently the people in his vision also sensed it. At first it was only the agile, roof-hopping warriors who first detected the change. Their stances shifted, become tense, strained, and their faces showed growing unease. Then the civilians began to react, looking around in bewilderment as concerned parents gathered children and shopkeepers ceased their selling. Suddenly, Hiccup found himself once again above the large, red building as Minato and Kushina walked out onto a balcony, Naruto fast asleep in his mother's arms.

The red-head's concern was clear as she spoke to her husband in a near whisper.

"Minato? What is it?" The blue-eyed man didn't reply for a moment as he looked out to the far horizon. Time seemed to hold still for a brief moment before Minato breathed sharply, a hand reaching into his coat and pulling out several strange knives. Kushina stiffened upon seeing the movement, apparently knowing the significance of the weapons. Her violet eyes widened and she gripped the child in her arms closer to her chest.

"M-Minato?" Said man turned to his wife, expression stern.

"Take Naruto to the safe house."

"But-"

"Kushina!" She stopped at her husband's desperate tone. "Please," he pleaded. Some unspoken message passed between them and she nodded, tearfully. Minato sighed, bending forward to kiss his wife gently on the lips, before placing another on Naruto's forehead.

"Happy Birthday, son."

That is when the chaos began.

A massive shadow blocked the moon's silver ray's a tremendous wind began to roar through the skies. Upturned faces held expressions of horror as they beheld the shape silhouetted against the pale sphere. Hiccup's brows furrowed as he looked up at the descending creature. It was a dragon, there was no doubt about that. But this dragon differed from any he'd ever seen before, being more monstrous in appearance than even he was used to. Twisted branch-like appendages extended from its back, writhing grotesquely. Its lip-less maw was agape, showing ragged teeth jutting out from a squared jaw with spiked plates along its chin. Above the terrible mouth, nine lidless eyes rolled about in their sockets, each in different directions, creating a dizzying and sickening display.

The wings were horrific. Made of translucent, jagged skin with pulsing veins and protruding bones, giving it an air of descending death. They extended down the front limbs, ending in a series of lethal thorn-like claws. It's body curled and coiled as it flew, the serpentine length bristling with rows upon rows of cruelly hooked scales. The back limbs were like lashing, tearing legs, each tipped by three long talons. The winding tail came to a point before separating into ten deadly spear-like spurs, wiping about causing mass devastation.

Buildings were piles of rubble in mere seconds, people reduced to unrecognizable smears of red along the pathways. Screams, shrieks and blood-curdling cries filled the night air with their heart-wrenching grief. Hiccup sobbed, unable to stomach the gruesome scene yet incapable of looking away. He witnessed the nightmarish sight for what felt like days, which in reality was only minutes. The strangely dressed warriors came at the beast by the dozens, each wave of fighters bravely defending those under protection before being shredded and tossed away by the terrible limbs, teeth, and tail.

Hiccup could scarcely comprehend the hellish slaughter. Everything moved so quickly, yet so slow at the same time. Lifeless bodies were now scattered across the blood soaked village while others were crushed and trapped beneath piles of mutilated structures. Stone, wood, and flesh filled the air as the monstrous creature dealt out death to the peaceful village. Mercilessly wreaking havoc, abaddon, and destruction. It seemed to the viking that Ragnarok had finally come to claim its final victory.

Abruptly, his eyes were drawn to the head of the dragon, or more precisely, the man who stood atop it. Red hair hung limply around his face, shadowing his pale, gaunt features. A black cloak swirled around him in the wind, decorated with red designs in the shape of clouds. The chieftain immediately knew that this was the one who had orchestrated the attack. That this was the man responsible for all the death, pain and despair he now witnessed. Anger like he'd rarely felt before rose up within his chest and burned as it raced through his veins. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and give the red-headed man a taste of his fury.

But before he could even attempt to move his ethereal form, Hiccup was blinded by the sudden light which flashed before his eyes. When his vision returned, the viking gaped at beholding the second person who had appeared. A short-sleeved, white coat waved in the breeze, edged with red flames along the bottom with a line of writing running vertically up the back.

Minato Namikaze crouched before the cloaked man, a dagger gripped tightly in each hand and his blue eyes glaring icily. No words were spoken between the two as they tensed then charged towards each other. Hiccup watched as the two men clashed before a tug at his consciousness pulled him away, towards the evacuating civilians. His attention was caught by a brief glimpse of long red haired darting around a corner.

"Lady Kushina!" a voice cried out as he entered the alleyway. Said woman stood with Naruto still cradled in her arms, now wide awake and frightened. Several men stood around them, each wearing green vests and inscripted metal plates tied to their foreheads.

"Lord Hokage gave us orders to ensure that you were safely in the hidden bunker, m'lady!" Kushina only nodded in reply. One of the soldiers attempted to remove Naruto from her arms, but the woman turned, denying him access whilst flashing an angry glare.

"My son stays with me!" she hissed. Hiccup blinked at seeing the righteous indignation in her stance, and couldn't help but smile when the warriors took a step back.

"Y-yes, Lady Hokage!" They began to make their way hurriedly to what appeared to be a remote safe-house on the edge of the village. One soldier quickly unlocked and wrenched open the heavy, metal door. Hiccup followed the group as they descended down a winding flight of steps. Naruto's whimper echoed in the heavy dimness. Kushina gently hushed him and increased her pace. They proceeded through several doors and gateways, each locked with a series of cryptic mechanisms.

"Wh-where are we, Mommy?" Naruto finally gained the courage to ask.

"We're in a very safe place, honey. Your Daddy had it made for us to hide in if we needed to."

"But why are we hiding?" They had finally reached a medium-sized room, with low hanging ceilings, and numerous sets of bedding materials, clothing, food, and water lining the walls. The warriors locked and barred the entrance once they had all entered. Kushina settled herself onto a floor mat before answering her son.

"Did you see that big shadow, Naruto?"

"Y-yeah. What was it?"

"Something very evil, dear. I kind of dragon that we haven't seen since the beginning of the Great War. You remember, Madara, from your history lessons? Well, it's said that he, himself rode on one of those dragons."

"D-dragon?" Hiccup's eyebrow rose when the red-headed woman muttered angrily under her breath as her son sat upright, eyes glittering excitedly.

"A dragon? Like Kurama?"

"No, Naruto." Her stern voice surprising him. "That dragon is nothing like Lord Kurama. It's a dangerous creature only capable of bringing pain and sadness."

"But maybe he just needs a friend! Let me go out there! I'll help him like I did for the others-"

"Naruto! Forget it! I'm sorry, honey, but despite your gift this is not a dragon that you could ever befriend." The blond-haired child sniffled at his mother's words.

"Bu-but you and Daddy said that dragons are good!" Kushina sighed tiredly.

"Most dragons are good, Naru, but there are a few that are very, very bad. Things have been done to them to make them forget who they truly are. Because of that they are no longer dragons, but are the Fallen. Please, promise you won't ever go looking for one of the Fallen."

"I-I...I promise, Mommy." The woman smiled and tapped him gently on the nose.

"Thank you, now get some sleep, Naru. You'll need to be strong for tomorrow, after all, there will be lot's of work to do the fix up the village after the fight is over."

"Okay, but when will Daddy be back?" Kushina looked away as she answered, not meeting her son's blue eyes.

"Soon, honey," she spoke softly. "Soon." Silence reigned for several minutes before the soldiers suddenly stiffened. They all froze, Hiccup included, who strained his ears to try and detect the noise again. A low rumble echoed through the stone chamber before everything went deathly still. A scream tore itself from Kushina's throat as long claws burst down through the ceiling. The soldiers began hollering orders to each other, encircling the woman and her child who had been abruptly awoken once more. Before they could move, the top of the room was wrenched away, along with several layers of metal, wood, and earth. Instead of seeing the starlit, night sky, their vision was enveloped in the horrifying sight of a dragon, different than the first.

Hundreds of teeth lined its jaws, even spilling out of it's mouth. Multiple spider-like limbs with long talons, protruded from its sides, several of which held the enormous chunk it had removed. Hooked mandibles chittered in front of the beast's face and a large, drill-like tail thudded behind it. In an instant, a scaley arm reached down into their midst, and before Kushina knew what had happened, she was looking up into her son's panicked face as the creature pulled him from her. She leapt to her feet in a desperate effort to grab him, shrieking as tears began to run down her face.

"NARUTO!"

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><p><strong>AN:**

**Oh...My...Gosh...I can't believe I actually wrote that. This must have be THE darkest chapter I have ever created in my LIFE. I honestly got kind of sick when describing certain things. Whew. I know I rated this fic a T...but should I put it at an M?**

**So, for the first dragon, think:**

**Mouth and eyes like the Gedo Mazo (Naruto) but with the head shape of Smaug (The Hobbit)**

**Body like Dara Amadyura (Monster Hunter)**

**Wings and front limbs like an Archdemon (Dragon Age)**

**Back legs and tail like Alduin (Skyrim)**

**And for the second one it's basically a mash up of the Sea Monster from Voyage of the Dawn Treader and a couple Monster Hunter dragons that I came up with on the fly.**

**What do you think?**


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